Sheffield 2026 Presented e-posters Thursday

Epiphora is frequently caused by lacrimal drainage dysfunction, and accurate localisation of the anatomical or functional abnormality is essential for appropriate management. Conventional dacryocystography (DCG) provides structural detail but limited functional insight, while dacryoscintigraphy (DSG) offers physiological assessment with poor anatomical resolution. Magnetic resonance dacryocystography (MRDCG) has the potential to combine both capabilities in a single non-invasive examination. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of MRDCG, DCG, and DSG, and to determine whether MRDCG alone is sufficient to provide a comprehensive anatomical and functional evaluation.

Fifteen patients underwent DCG, DSG, and MRDCG. All imaging was independently reviewed by three specialists, with consensus required for final categorisation. Each modality was assessed for narrowing, obstruction, and functional delay. Diagnostic sensitivity, accuracy, and concordance were calculated using the integrated final clinical diagnosis as the reference standard. Inter-modality agreement was evaluated using Cohen’s and Fleiss’ kappa statistics.

All patients had confirmed lacrimal drainage abnormalities. MRDCG demonstrated the highest diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy (14/15, 93.3%). DSG identified 11/15 abnormalities (73.3%), and DCG detected 9/15 (60.0%). Positive predictive value was 100% for all modalities. MRDCG showed the strongest agreement with clinical diagnosis and most reliably identified mixed anatomical–functional pathology.

MRDCG outperformed DCG and DSG in sensitivity and localisation accuracy. These findings suggest that MRDCG may serve as a single comprehensive imaging modality for evaluating lacrimal drainage dysfunction.