pictorial essay slideshare

Is MasterClass right for me?

Take this quiz to find out.

How to Create a Photo Essay: Step-by-Step Guide With Examples

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 5 min read

Photo essays tell a story in pictures, and there are many different ways to style your own photo essay. With a wide range of topics to explore, a photo essay can be thought-provoking, emotional, funny, unsettling, or all of the above, but mostly, they should be unforgettable.

Overview of web animation and graphics programs

Pictorial Writing Examples: Visual Storytelling Mastery

In the realm of storytelling, pictorial writing emerges as a captivating fusion of artistry and narrative ingenuity. This curated collection of pictorial writing examples beckons you to explore the diverse and enriching world of visual narratives.

From the echoes of historical chronicles to the reflections of contemporary issues, each example serves as a testament to the profound impact that arises from the harmonious integration of visuals and storytelling.

What is Pictorial Writing?

Pictorial writing, synonymous with visual storytelling, is an expressive narrative form reliant on a sequence of images to unfold a story, elicit emotions, and communicate information. 

Rooted in the early 20th century, luminaries like Lewis Hine pioneered this medium by documenting the stark realities of child labor, propelling pictorial writing into a potent conduit for journalistic and artistic expression.

Key Elements of Pictorial Writing

Pictorial essays, characterized by a series of images crafting a cohesive narrative or conveying specific information, seamlessly blend visuals and text. This format allows for diverse storytelling, encompassing chronological narratives and capturing singular moments united by a common thematic thread.

Crafting Compelling Pictorial Essays

 Design Techniques:

• Scrollytelling Images: Foster viewer engagement by smoothly transitioning between photos overlaid with text, offering a dynamic approach to presenting visual narratives;
• Scroll Speed and Progress Bars: Enhance user experience by varying scroll speeds and incorporating progress bars, preventing content fatigue and guiding readers seamlessly through the essay;
•  Image Comparison Slider: Showcase transformations through an interactive image comparison slider, allowing viewers to explore before-and-after visuals;
• Clickable Image Hotspots: Maximize screen space with clickable hotspots, providing additional information and enhancing the overall storytelling experience;
• Image Carousels: Facilitate interactive navigation with horizontally navigable image carousels, creating an engaging and immersive storytelling experience.

 Best Practices for Design:

• Knowing Your Story: Ensure clarity and coherence by identifying the main points you want to visually convey in your pictorial essay;
• Diverse Shot Selection: Sustain viewer interest by incorporating varied angles, close-ups, and compositions, steering clear of monotony;
• Selecting the Best Images: Prioritize relevance over aesthetics, ensuring each photo contributes meaningfully to the narrative;
• Audience Consideration:Tailor your style and tone to the target demographic, resonating effectively with the intended audience;
• Maintaining Momentum: Employ scroll-triggered transitions, animations, and interactivity to captivate viewers, ensuring sustained engagement throughout the essay.

Pictorial Writing Examples: From Egmont to Taranaki 

Immerse yourself in the compelling Vev-built pictorial essay, “From Egmont to Taranaki,” where personal narratives intertwine with historical lessons. Animated effects and scrollytelling techniques elevate the visual journey, creating a captivating exploration.

Food for Thought

Offering a global lens on food production, “Food for Thought” utilizes fixed image parallax scrolling and hotspots to provide a comprehensive view of people, landscapes, and processes. This example exemplifies the potential for depth and engagement within pictorial storytelling.

Witnesses to History Keepers of Memory

The Montreal Holocaust Museum’s interactive creation delves into the lives of Holocaust survivors, utilizing hover-triggered animations and a thoughtful narrative structure to convey a powerful message. This example demonstrates the impactful potential of visual storytelling.

Hakai Autonomous Ocean

Delve into the oceanic realm with “Hakai Autonomous Ocean,” a single-page essay showcasing scrollytelling images and image comparison sliders. Narrating the story of a malfunctioning $150,000 robot beneath the sea, this example immerses the audience in a dramatic and engaging experience.

Moma Strange Brew

Unveiling the creation of John Klines’ art installation, “Skittles,” this essay employs humor and satire to explore consumerism. The step-by-step visual journey is complemented by fade-ins and interactive elements, showcasing the potential for creativity within the pictorial writing format.

Documenting UNICEF’s humanitarian efforts through photographer Jan Grarup, this pictorial essay reveals the organization’s Denmark warehouse and its impact in various countries. The inclusion of a scroll progress bar aids navigation, providing a seamless and informative visual journey.

The Guardian

“Slippery slope? Alpine tourism in the face of climate crisis” delves into the interplay between climate change and the Alps. Image comparison sliders showcase the region in both winter and other seasons, maximizing screen space for impactful visuals and fostering a deeper understanding of global issues.

The Naija Story

Divided into sections covering politics, technology, and entertainment, “The Naija Story” effectively utilizes photo essays to highlight Nigeria’s history. Scroll-triggered animations and connecting lines simplify the narrative for an artistic yet easily comprehensible presentation, making history accessible through visual storytelling.

Ukrainian Ballerina Uprooted by War Flies High Again

A poignant piece from Reuters, this essay chronicles the journey of ballet dancer Ganna Muromtseva, seamlessly blending writing and photos. The use of fade-ins and text overlays adds a dynamic touch to the visual storytelling, providing a personal and emotional insight into the subject’s life.

Creating Stunning Pictorial Essays with Vev

 Vev stands as a creative powerhouse, offering a myriad of tools to bring pictorial essays to life. Image comparison sliders, carousels, scroll animations, and other pre-built elements empower storytellers, eliminating the need for complex coding.

Features: Image Comparison Sliders, Carousels, Scroll Animations

Vev’s user-friendly interface allows journalists, designers, and publishers to seamlessly integrate dynamic elements into their visual content. Image comparison sliders showcase transformations, carousels enable interactive navigation, and scroll animations enhance the overall storytelling experience. With Vev, the creative possibilities of visual storytelling are boundless.

Conclusion 

The art of pictorial writing serves as a beacon for storytellers navigating the complex digital landscape. The convergence of visual aesthetics and narrative impact, coupled with meticulous design techniques and best practices, unveils the true potential of this unique medium.

Whether documenting historical events, unraveling global issues, or presenting personal narratives, pictorial essays offer a distinctive and engaging avenue for storytelling. 

With the innovative capabilities of tools like Vev, storytellers can unleash their creativity, ensuring their narratives not only stand out but resonate deeply in a visually saturated digital realm.

• Pressley Robert

You may also like

10 Captivating Interactive Website Designs

Interactive websites transcend mere digital presence—they're becoming a standard expectation..

Why Interactive Reports Trump Static PDFs

Say goodbye to static PDFs and hello to interactive reports—the..

The leading authority in photography and camera gear.

Become a better photographer.

12.9 Million

Annual Readers

Newsletter Subscribers

Featured Photographers

Photography Guides & Gear Reviews

How to Create an Engaging Photo Essay (with Examples)

Photo essays tell a story in pictures. They're a great way to improve at photography and story-telling skills at once. Learn how to do create a great one.

Learn | Photography Guides | By Ana Mireles

Shotkit may earn a commission on affiliate links. Learn more.

Photography is a medium used to tell stories – sometimes they are told in one picture, sometimes you need a whole series. Those series can be photo essays.

If you’ve never done a photo essay before, or you’re simply struggling to find your next project, this article will be of help. I’ll be showing you what a photo essay is and how to go about doing one.

You’ll also find plenty of photo essay ideas and some famous photo essay examples from recent times that will serve you as inspiration.

If you’re ready to get started, let’s jump right in!

Table of Contents

What is a Photo Essay?

A photo essay is a series of images that share an overarching theme as well as a visual and technical coherence to tell a story. Some people refer to a photo essay as a photo series or a photo story – this often happens in photography competitions.

Photographic history is full of famous photo essays. Think about The Great Depression by Dorothea Lange, Like Brother Like Sister by Wolfgang Tillmans, Gandhi’s funeral by Henri Cartier Bresson, amongst others.

What are the types of photo essay?

Despite popular belief, the type of photo essay doesn’t depend on the type of photography that you do – in other words, journalism, documentary, fine art, or any other photographic genre is not a type of photo essay.

Instead, there are two main types of photo essays: narrative and thematic .

As you have probably already guessed, the thematic one presents images pulled together by a topic – for example, global warming. The images can be about animals and nature as well as natural disasters devastating cities. They can happen all over the world or in the same location, and they can be captured in different moments in time – there’s a lot of flexibility.

A narrative photo essa y, on the other hand, tells the story of a character (human or not), portraying a place or an event. For example, a narrative photo essay on coffee would document the process from the planting and harvesting – to the roasting and grinding until it reaches your morning cup.

What are some of the key elements of a photo essay?

• Tell a unique story – A unique story doesn’t mean that you have to photograph something that nobody has done before – that would be almost impossible! It means that you should consider what you’re bringing to the table on a particular topic.
• Put yourself into the work – One of the best ways to make a compelling photo essay is by adding your point of view, which can only be done with your life experiences and the way you see the world.
• Add depth to the concept – The best photo essays are the ones that go past the obvious and dig deeper in the story, going behind the scenes, or examining a day in the life of the subject matter – that’s what pulls in the spectator.
• Nail the technique – Even if the concept and the story are the most important part of a photo essay, it won’t have the same success if it’s poorly executed.
• Build a structure – A photo essay is about telling a thought-provoking story – so, think about it in a narrative way. Which images are going to introduce the topic? Which ones represent a climax? How is it going to end – how do you want the viewer to feel after seeing your photo series?
• Make strong choices – If you really want to convey an emotion and a unique point of view, you’re going to need to make some hard decisions. Which light are you using? Which lens? How many images will there be in the series? etc., and most importantly for a great photo essay is the why behind those choices.

9 Tips for Creating a Photo Essay

Credit: Laura James

1. Choose something you know

To make a good photo essay, you don’t need to travel to an exotic location or document a civil war – I mean, it’s great if you can, but you can start close to home.

Depending on the type of photography you do and the topic you’re looking for in your photographic essay, you can photograph a local event or visit an abandoned building outside your town.

It will be much easier for you to find a unique perspective and tell a better story if you’re already familiar with the subject. Also, consider that you might have to return a few times to the same location to get all the photos you need.

2. Follow your passion

Most photo essays take dedication and passion. If you choose a subject that might be easy, but you’re not really into it – the results won’t be as exciting. Taking photos will always be easier and more fun if you’re covering something you’re passionate about.

3. Take your time

A great photo essay is not done in a few hours. You need to put in the time to research it, conceptualizing it, editing, etc. That’s why I previously recommended following your passion because it takes a lot of dedication, and if you’re not passionate about it – it’s difficult to push through.

4. Write a summary or statement

Photo essays are always accompanied by some text. You can do this in the form of an introduction, write captions for each photo or write it as a conclusion. That’s up to you and how you want to present the work.

5. Learn from the masters

How Much Do You REALLY Know About Photography?! 🤔

Test your photography knowledge with this quick quiz!

See how much you really know about photography...

Your answer:

Correct answer:

SHARE YOUR RESULTS

Your Answers

Making a photographic essay takes a lot of practice and knowledge. A great way to become a better photographer and improve your storytelling skills is by studying the work of others. You can go to art shows, review books and magazines and look at the winners in photo contests – most of the time, there’s a category for photo series.

6. Get a wide variety of photos

Think about a story – a literary one. It usually tells you where the story is happening, who is the main character, and it gives you a few details to make you engage with it, right?

The same thing happens with a visual story in a photo essay – you can do some wide-angle shots to establish the scenes and some close-ups to show the details. Make a shot list to ensure you cover all the different angles.

Some of your pictures should guide the viewer in, while others are more climatic and regard the experience they are taking out of your photos.

7. Follow a consistent look

Both in style and aesthetics, all the images in your series need to be coherent. You can achieve this in different ways, from the choice of lighting, the mood, the post-processing, etc.

8. Be self-critical

Once you have all the photos, make sure you edit them with a good dose of self-criticism. Not all the pictures that you took belong in the photo essay. Choose only the best ones and make sure they tell the full story.

9. Ask for constructive feedback

Often, when we’re working on a photo essay project for a long time, everything makes perfect sense in our heads. However, someone outside the project might not be getting the idea. It’s important that you get honest and constructive criticism to improve your photography.

How to Create a Photo Essay in 5 Steps

Credit: Quang Nguyen Vinh

1. Choose your topic

This is the first step that you need to take to decide if your photo essay is going to be narrative or thematic. Then, choose what is it going to be about?

Ideally, it should be something that you’re interested in, that you have something to say about it, and it can connect with other people.

2. Research your topic

To tell a good story about something, you need to be familiar with that something. This is especially true when you want to go deeper and make a compelling photo essay. Day in the life photo essays are a popular choice, since often, these can be performed with friends and family, whom you already should know well.

3. Plan your photoshoot

Depending on what you’re photographing, this step can be very different from one project to the next. For a fine art project, you might need to find a location, props, models, a shot list, etc., while a documentary photo essay is about planning the best time to do the photos, what gear to bring with you, finding a local guide, etc.

Every photo essay will need different planning, so before taking pictures, put in the required time to get things right.

4. Experiment

It’s one thing to plan your photo shoot and having a shot list that you have to get, or else the photo essay won’t be complete. It’s another thing to miss out on some amazing photo opportunities that you couldn’t foresee.

So, be prepared but also stay open-minded and experiment with different settings, different perspectives, etc.

5. Make a final selection

Editing your work can be one of the hardest parts of doing a photo essay. Sometimes we can be overly critical, and others, we get attached to bad photos because we put a lot of effort into them or we had a great time doing them.

Try to be as objective as possible, don’t be afraid to ask for opinions and make various revisions before settling down on a final cut.

7 Photo Essay Topics, Ideas & Examples

Credit: Michelle Leman

• Architectural photo essay

Using architecture as your main subject, there are tons of photo essay ideas that you can do. For some inspiration, you can check out the work of Francisco Marin – who was trained as an architect and then turned to photography to “explore a different way to perceive things”.

You can also lookup Luisa Lambri. Amongst her series, you’ll find many photo essay examples in which architecture is the subject she uses to explore the relationship between photography and space.

• Process and transformation photo essay

This is one of the best photo essay topics for beginners because the story tells itself. Pick something that has a beginning and an end, for example, pregnancy, the metamorphosis of a butterfly, the life-cycle of a plant, etc.

Keep in mind that these topics are linear and give you an easy way into the narrative flow – however, it might be difficult to find an interesting perspective and a unique point of view.

• A day in the life of ‘X’ photo essay

There are tons of interesting photo essay ideas in this category – you can follow around a celebrity, a worker, your child, etc. You don’t even have to do it about a human subject – think about doing a photo essay about a day in the life of a racing horse, for example – find something that’s interesting for you.

• Time passing by photo essay

It can be a natural site or a landmark photo essay – whatever is close to you will work best as you’ll need to come back multiple times to capture time passing by. For example, how this place changes throughout the seasons or maybe even over the years.

A fun option if you live with family is to document a birthday party each year, seeing how the subject changes over time. This can be combined with a transformation essay or sorts, documenting the changes in interpersonal relationships over time.

• Travel photo essay

Do you want to make the jump from tourist snapshots into a travel photo essay? Research the place you’re going to be travelling to. Then, choose a topic.

If you’re having trouble with how to do this, check out any travel magazine – National Geographic, for example. They won’t do a generic article about Texas – they do an article about the beach life on the Texas Gulf Coast and another one about the diverse flavors of Texas.

The more specific you get, the deeper you can go with the story.

• Socio-political issues photo essay

This is one of the most popular photo essay examples – it falls under the category of photojournalism or documental photography. They are usually thematic, although it’s also possible to do a narrative one.

Depending on your topic of interest, you can choose topics that involve nature – for example, document the effects of global warming. Another idea is to photograph protests or make an education photo essay.

It doesn’t have to be a big global issue; you can choose something specific to your community – are there too many stray dogs? Make a photo essay about a local animal shelter. The topics are endless.

• Behind the scenes photo essay

A behind-the-scenes always make for a good photo story – people are curious to know what happens and how everything comes together before a show.

Depending on your own interests, this can be a photo essay about a fashion show, a theatre play, a concert, and so on. You’ll probably need to get some permissions, though, not only to shoot but also to showcase or publish those images.

4 Best Photo Essays in Recent times

Now that you know all the techniques about it, it might be helpful to look at some photo essay examples to see how you can put the concept into practice. Here are some famous photo essays from recent times to give you some inspiration.

Habibi by Antonio Faccilongo

This photo essay wan the World Press Photo Story of the Year in 2021. Faccilongo explores a very big conflict from a very specific and intimate point of view – how the Israeli-Palestinian war affects the families.

He chose to use a square format because it allows him to give order to things and eliminate unnecessary elements in his pictures.

With this long-term photo essay, he wanted to highlight the sense of absence and melancholy women and families feel towards their husbands away at war.

The project then became a book edited by Sarah Leen and the graphics of Ramon Pez.

Picture This: New Orleans by Mary Ellen Mark

The last assignment before her passing, Mary Ellen Mark travelled to New Orleans to register the city after a decade after Hurricane Katrina.

The images of the project “bring to life the rebirth and resilience of the people at the heart of this tale”, – says CNNMoney, commissioner of the work.

Each survivor of the hurricane has a story, and Mary Ellen Mark was there to record it. Some of them have heartbreaking stories about everything they had to leave behind.

Others have a story of hope – like Sam and Ben, two eight-year-olds born from frozen embryos kept in a hospital that lost power supply during the hurricane, yet they managed to survive.

Selfie by Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman is an American photographer whose work is mainly done through self-portraits. With them, she explores the concept of identity, gender stereotypes, as well as visual and cultural codes.

One of her latest photo essays was a collaboration with W Magazine entitled Selfie. In it, the author explores the concept of planned candid photos (‘plandid’).

The work was made for Instagram, as the platform is well known for the conflict between the ‘real self’ and the one people present online. Sherman started using Facetune, Perfect365 and YouCam to alter her appearance on selfies – in Photoshop, you can modify everything, but these apps were designed specifically to “make things prettier”- she says, and that’s what she wants to explore in this photo essay.

Tokyo Compression by Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf has an interest in the broad-gauge topic Life in Cities. From there, many photo essays have been derived – amongst them – Tokyo Compression .

He was horrified by the way people in Tokyo are forced to move to the suburbs because of the high prices of the city. Therefore, they are required to make long commutes facing 1,5 hours of train to start their 8+ hour workday followed by another 1,5 hours to get back home.

To portray this way of life, he photographed the people inside the train pressed against the windows looking exhausted, angry or simply absent due to this way of life.

You can visit his website to see other photo essays that revolve around the topic of life in megacities.

Final Words

It’s not easy to make photo essays, so don’t expect to be great at it right from your first project.

Start off small by choosing a specific subject that’s interesting to you –  that will come from an honest place, and it will be a great practice for some bigger projects along the line.

Whether you like to shoot still life or you’re a travel photographer, I hope these photo essay tips and photo essay examples can help you get started and grow in your photography.

Let us know which topics you are working on right now – we’ll love to hear from you!

Check out these 8 essential tools to help you succeed as a professional photographer.

Includes limited-time discounts.

Ana Mireles is a Mexican researcher that specializes in photography and communications for the arts and culture sector.

👋 WELCOME TO SHOTKIT!

🔥 Popular NOW:

Unlock the EXACT blueprint to capture breathtaking iPhone photos!

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Indian J Nucl Med
• v.33(3); Jul-Sep 2018

Dacryoscintigraphy: A Pictorial Essay

Shefali madhur gokhale.

Department of Nuclear Medicine, Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Dacryoscintigraphy is a noninvasive, simple, easy to perform imaging modality used in the evaluation of epiphora. However, it is an infrequently done study in nuclear medicine departments. A standardized protocol and a systematic interpretation of the scans help in answering the queries of the clinicians in cases of epiphora. We have attempted to build a pictorial essay of the various findings detected on dacryoscintigraphy.

Introduction

Imaging the nasolacrimal system with use of radiopharmaceuticals, in other words, dacryoscintigraphy is an underutilized tool in the present-day nuclear medicine department.

Of the few nuclear medicine departments that perform the procedure, there are differences in the protocol followed, the use of collimators, and the use of radiopharmaceuticals. The indications for the procedure are evaluation of epiphora,[ 1 ] detection of subclinical lacrimal duct obstruction, appropriate patient selection for surgery,[ 2 ] and evaluating the success of dacryocystorhinostomy.[ 2 ] It is contraindicated in acute infective and allergic conditions of the eye. The small size of the structures of the nasolacrimal system is a major limitation. As compared to dacryocystography, the radiation exposure involved is about 100 times lower.[ 3 , 4 ] It has a distinct advantage over the syringing/saccharin test[ 5 ] in being noninvasive.[ 3 ] As there is no instrumentation of canaliculi or administration of contrast/saline under high pressure, false-negative and false-positive[ 3 , 5 ] results are avoided.

The standard protocol that we followed involved the use of Tc-99 m sulfur colloid in a dose of 50–100 microCi/10 μl[ 3 , 5 ] with the use of low-energy high-resolution collimator and images acquired immediately, postinstillation of normal saline drops and postblowing of the nose.[ 6 ]

A systematic interpretation of the various sequences helps arrive at the etiology of epiphora.

Dacryoscintigraphy interpretation in patients presenting with epiphora

To demonstrate normal flow through the nasolacrimal system.

A case of dacryocystorhinostomy on the left side in a 26-year-old male patient.

Drainage of tracer into the nasal cavity within the first 15-min postinstillation of radiopharmaceutical is considered normal.

The left eye reveals flow of tracer to the medial canthus region with accumulation of tracer there. There is no drainage of tracer into the nasal cavity.

The right eye reveals flow of tracer into the lacrimal sac, nasolacrimal duct (NLD), and drainage into the inferior meatus of the nose, all within the first 15-min postinstillation of Tc-99 m sulfur colloid, which is considered as normal [ Figure 1 ].[ 5 , 7 ]

Dacryoscintigraphy reveals drainage of tracer into the lacrimal sac (bold black arrow), nasolacrimal duct (hyphenated arrow), and inferior meatus of nose (black arrow) from the right eye. There is no drainage of tracer into the nasal cavity from the left eye

Interpretation

• Failed dacryocystorhinostomy on the left side
• Normal tear flow in the right eye.

To evaluate cause of epiphora in spite of a bilaterally normal syringing test

A 61-year-old female patient had a history of trauma to eyes approximately 2 months back. She had complaints of watering from the right eye for 2 months. Syringing revealed the passage of saline downward into the nasal cavity bilaterally.

The right eye reveals flow of tracer into the proximal NLD in immediate images. However, there is drainage into the inferior meatus of nose noted only in the images acquired postblowing of the nose.

The left eye reveals partial flow of tracer into the inferior meatus of the nose in the immediate images. There is persistent partial tracer stasis in the region of medical canthus noted in the delayed images [Figure ​ [Figure2a 2a - ​ -c c ].

(a) Immediate dynamic images of dacryoscintigraphy reveal drainage of tracer into the proximal nasolacrimal duct on the right side (bold black arrow). Partial drainage of tracer from the left eye into inferior meatus of the nose is noted (black arrow), (b and c) Dacryoscintigraphy images acquired postblowing of nose reveal flow of tracer from the right eye into inferior meatus of nose (bold black arrow). Persistent partial tracer stasis noted in the region of medial canthus of the left eye (black arrow)

Intraductal delay right eye with some inflammation at the lower end of NLD, which is relieved by nose blowing.

Partial functional impedance left eye.

The word “functional impedance” is used as an anatomic obstruction which is ruled out by the syringing test.[ 8 ] Hence, the finding of syringing test forms an important history in the interpretation of dacryoscintigraphy.

Epiphora since childhood

A 4.5-year-old female patient, a case of right-sided dacryocystitis. She has had complaints of right-sided epiphora since childhood.

Findings and Interpretation

The right eye reveals drainage of tracer into the NLD only in the image acquired postblowing of nose. This could be due to two reasons, either local inflammation at the NLD or resistance offered by the valves of the nasolacrimal system. Since this patient has had complaints since childhood, the symptoms are likely to be secondary to resistance offered by valves.

The left eye reveals drainage of tracer into the left NLD in immediate images. However, there is drainage into the inferior meatus of nose noted in the image acquired postblowing of nose. As the patient is asymptomatic on the left side, scan features are likely to represent local inflammation at the lower end of the left NLD [Figure ​ [Figure3a 3a - ​ -c c ]

(a) Immediate dynamic images of dacryoscintigraphy reveal flow of tracer into left nasolacrimal duct (black arrow), (b) there is no significant change in drainage observed after administration of normal saline drop, (c) images acquired after blowing of nose reveal flow of tracer into the nasolacrimal duct on the right (bold black arrow) and into the inferior nasal meatus on left (hyphenated arrow)

Bilateral epiphora, abnormal syringing test

A 64-year-old male patient with complaints of bilateral epiphora for 6–8 months.

There was no passage of saline detected on the syringing test bilaterally.

As there has been no passage of saline on the syringing test, there is likely to be an anatomic obstruction; however, the level of obstruction is to be detected.[ 5 ]

In the right eye, there is flow of tracer to the medial canthus region. However, the delayed images indicate that there is no flow of tracer into the lacrimal sac.

In the left eye, there is flow of tracer to the medial canthus region and lacrimal sac. However, there is no drainage into the NLD [Figure ​ [Figure4a 4a - ​ -c c ].

(a) Immediate dynamic images of dacryoscintigraphy reveal flow of tracer to the region of medial canthus bilaterally (arrows), (b) after administration of normal saline drops, no significant change in drainage of tracer is noted bilaterally, (c) delayed images reveal flow of tracer into the left lacrimal sac (arrowhead)

• PRESAC delay right eye
• PREDUCTAL delay left eye.

Epiphora in old age

A 59-year-old female diabetic and hypertensive patient presented with bilateral epiphora for 3–4 years.

There is pooling of tracer noted in the orbits bilaterally [Figure ​ [Figure5a 5a and ​ andb b ].

(a and b) Dacryoscintigraphy images reveal pooling of tracer in the orbits bilaterally (arrows)

This could be due to either failure of tear flow mechanism in the eyes or laxity of eyelids.

In this case, in view of the age of the patient and comorbidities, scan features are likely to be secondary to eyelid laxity.

To evaluate dacryocystorhinostomy on one side and epiphora on the other side

A 61-year-old male patient had presented with left lacrimal fossa abscess with dacryocystitis. At that time, syringing test had allowed passage of saline in the right eye. He underwent dacryocystorhinostomy on left side.

Findings and interpretation

The left eye reveals flow of tracer to the medial canthus region. However, there is no drainage of tracer into the left NLD. Hence, we conclude that the dacryocystorhinostomy on the left side has failed.

On the right side, we have an important clinical history of the syringing test allowing passage of saline. Hence, there is no anatomical obstruction noted on the right side.

Flow of tracer is noted to the right lacrimal sac. However, there is no drainage of tracer noted into the right NLD. This is a case of preductal delay. In view of the finding of syringing test, it is secondary to functional impedance on the right side [Figure ​ [Figure6a 6a - ​ -c c ].

(a) Dacryoscintigraphy images reveal drainage of tracer into the lacrimal sac bilaterally; however, there is no drainage of tracer into the nasolacrimal duct bilaterally. There is a minor difference in the radioactivity administered in both eyes, causing a minor difference in intensity of tracer to start with. As scan progresses, the difference in intensity of radiotracer in the two eyes increases as more tracer is flowing out of left eye and soaked out with tissue paper, (b) dacryoscintigraphy images reveal drainage of tracer into the lacrimal sac bilaterally; however there is no drainage of tracer into the nasolacrimal duct bilaterally, (c) dacryoscintigraphy images reveal no drainage of tracer into the nasolacrimal duct bilaterally

The word “impedance” is preferred by the ophthalmologists instead of “obstruction,” when the syringing test has allowed passage of saline.[ 8 ]

It is important to note that there is no transit of tracer into the NLDs bilaterally in patient V and patient VI. However, patient VI differs in having the flow of tracer to the medial canthus region on right side, hence changing the interpretation of the scans.

Dacryoscintigraphy is a simple noninvasive and physiological assessment of the nasolacrimal system. A standardized protocol and systematic interpretation would help us identify the cause of epiphora and ascertain the success of surgical procedures performed if any.

Declaration of patient consent

The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient(s) has/have given his/her/their consent for his/her/their images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patients understand that their names and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

Ano ang pictorial essay?

Pictorial Essay

Ano ang pictorial essay.

Ang pictorial essay ay isang sulatin o educational article na naglalayong magpahayag ng isang partikular o higit pa na mga tema sa pamamagitan ng mga larawan .

Ang pictorial essay ay iba sa normal na mga sanaysay o sulatin ( brainly.ph/question/138575 ) dahil sa paraan nito ng pagpapahayag. Kung ang normal na sanaysay o sulatin ay teksto ang pokus upang maunawaan ang nilalaman, sa pictorial essay naman ay mga larawan ang pokus. Sa pamamagitan ng larawan ay naipapahayag nito ang isa o higit pang mga tema na nais ipaabot sa mambabasa.

Binubuo ang pictorial essay ng ibat-ibang mga larawan na may storya o pagkaka konekta upang maayos at sakto ang pagpapahayag ng tema. Bagaman ay hindi maiiwasan parin, ang teksto ay ginagamit ngunit bilang deskripsyon na lamang o caption sa mga larawang ginamit ( brainly.ph/question/795457 ).

Hindi ito kadalasang nakikita o ginagawa, ngunit kung ating iisipin, ang pictorial essay ay isang kakaiba at magandang uri din ng sanaysay, maaaring magastos nga lamang sapagkat gagamit ng mga larawan, hindi lamang isa ngunit barayti ng mga larawan. Dagdag pa, magandang uri ng sanaysay ang pictorial essay sapagkat mas nalilinang nito ang kakayahan nating mag interpret at synthesize ng mga larawan upang makuha ang nakatagong kahulugan o tema.

#LearnWithBrainly

New questions in Filipino