Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anatomy and Physiology of the Nasolacrimal Ducts

  • Chapter
Book cover Atlas of Lacrimal Surgery

1.4 Conclusions

The human efferent tear ducts are part of the lacrimal system. They consist of the upper and the lower lacrimal canaliculus, the lacrimal sac, and the nasolacrimal duct. As a draining and secretory system, the nasolacrimal ducts play a decisive role in tear transport and nonspecific immune defense. In this context the integrity of the mucosa as source of mucins and trefoil factor family peptides is of great importance with regard to tear drainage. Moreover, components of tear fluid are absorbed by the epithelium of the nasolacrimal passage and are transported into a surrounding vascular system. This system is comparable to a cavernous body that is subject to autonomic control and regulates tear outflow. Tear duct-associated lymphoid tissue (TALT) is present in the efferent tear ducts, displaying the cytomorphological and immunophenotypic features of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Akiyama J, Hoffman A, Brown C, Allen L, Edmondson J, Poulain F, Hawgood S (2002) Tissue distribution of surfactant proteins A and D in the mouse. J Histochem Cytochem 50:993–996

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ayub M, Thale A, Hedderich J, Tillmann B, Paulsen F (2003) The cavernous body of the human efferent tear ducts functions in regulation of tear outflow. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 44:4900–4907

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Belmonte C, Aracil A, Acosta C, Luna C, Gallar J (2004) Nerves and sensations from the eye surface. Ocular Surface 2:248–253

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Gipson IK, Hori Y, Argüeso P (2004) Character of ocular surface mucins and their alteration in dry eye disease. Ocular Surface 2:131–148

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hoffmann W, Jagla W (2002) Cell type specific expression of secretory TFF peptides: colocalization with mucins and synthesis in the brain. Int Rev Cytol 213:147–181

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Langer G, Jagla W, Behrens-Baumann W, Walter S, Hoffmann W (1999) Secretory peptides TFF1 and TFF3 synthesized in human conjunctival goblet cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 40:2220–2224

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. McCulley JP, Shine WE (2003) Meibomian gland function and the tear lipid layer. Ocular Surface 1:97–106

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. McDermott (2004) Defensins and other antimicrobial peptides at the ocular surface. Ocular Surface 2:229–247

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Paulsen F (2003) The nasolacrimal ducts. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 170:1–106

    Google Scholar 

  10. Paulsen F, Berry M (2006) Mucins and TFF peptides of the tear film and lacrimal apparatus. Progr Histochem Cytochem 41:1–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Paulsen F, Corfield A, Hinz M, Hoffmann W, Schaudig U, Thale A, Berry M (2003) Characterization of mucins in human lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 44:1807–1813

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Paulsen F, Corfield A, Hinz M, Hoffmann W, Schaudig U, Thale A, Berry M (2004) Tränenabfluss — Bedeutung von Muzinen und TFF-Peptiden. Ophthalmologe 101:19–24

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Paulsen F, Föge M, Thale A, Tillmann B, Mentlein R (2002) Absorption of lipophilic substances from tear fluid by the epithelium of the nasolacrimal ducts. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 43:3137–3143

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Paulsen F, Hallmann U, Paulsen J, Thale A (2000) Innervation of the cavernous body of the human efferent tear ducts and function in tear outflow mechanism. J Anat 197:373–381

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Paulsen F, Hinz M, Schaudig U, Thale AB, Hoffmann W (2002) TFF-peptides in the human efferent tear ducts. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 43:3359–3364

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Paulsen F, Langer G, Hoffmann W, Berry M (2004) Human lacrimal gland mucins. Cell Tissue Res 316:167–177

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Paulsen F, Paulsen J, Thale A, Tillmann B (2000) Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the human efferent tear ducts. Virchows Arch 437:185–189

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Paulsen F, Pufe T, Schaudig U, Held-Feindt J, Lehmann J, Schröder J-M, Tillmann B (2001) Detection of natural peptide antibiotics in human nasolacrimal ducts. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 42:2157–2163

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Paulsen F, Schaudig U, Thale A (2003) Drainage of tears: impact on the ocular surface and lacrimal system. Ocular Surface 1:180–191

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Paulsen F, Thale A, Hallmann U, Schaudig U, Tillmann B (2000) The cavernous body of the human efferent tear ducts: function in tear outflow mechanism. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 41:965–970

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Paulsen F, Thale A, Kohla G, Schauer R, Rochels R, Parwaresch R, Tillmann B (1998) Functional anatomy of human duct epithelium. Anat Embryol 198:1–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Stern ME, Beuermann RW, Fox RI, Gao J, Mircheff AK, Pflugfelder SC (1998) The pathology of dry eye: the interaction between the ocular surface and lacrimal glands. Cornea 17:584–589

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Stoeckelhuber M, Stoeckelhuber BM, Welsch U (2003) Human glands of Moll: histochemical and ultrastructural characterization of the glands of Moll in the human eyelid. J Invest Dermatol 121:28–36

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sullivan DA, Sullivan BD, Ullman MD, Rocha EM, Krenzer KL, Cermak JM, Toda I, Doane MG, Evans JE, Wickham LA (2000) Androgen influence on the Meibomian gland. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 41:3732–3742

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Thale A, Paulsen F, Rochels R, Tillmann B (1998) Functional anatomy of human efferent tear ducts: a new theory of tear outflow. Graefe’s Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 236:674–678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Tillmann B (2005) Atlas der Anatomie. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, New York

    Google Scholar 

  27. Lüllmann Rauch R (2003) Histologie. Thieme, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Große Steinstraße 52, 06097, Halle (Saale), Germany

    Friedrich Paulsen

Authors
  1. Friedrich Paulsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Karlsruhe, Moltkestraße 90, 76133, Karlsruhe, Germany

    R. K. Weber

  2. Elisabeth-Hospital Straubing, St.-Elisabeth-Straße 23, 94315, Straubing, Germany

    R. Keerl

  3. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York Medical College, 310 East 14th Street, 10003-420, New York, USA

    S. D. Schaefer  & R. C. Della Rocca  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Paulsen, F. (2007). Anatomy and Physiology of the Nasolacrimal Ducts. In: Weber, R.K., Keerl, R., Schaefer, S.D., Della Rocca, R.C. (eds) Atlas of Lacrimal Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68215-8_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68215-8_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-26255-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-68215-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation