Contributor: Gordon K. Klintworth
Atresia of the lacrimal punctum is an uncommon developmental anomaly of the lacrimal drainage system that most often affects the lower puncta. It is usually an isolated abnormality and it may be inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder with variable penetrance and expressivity. The lacrimal canaliculi form normally, but the overlying conjunctival epithelium fails to disappear and persists as a delicate membrane.