Analysis of recurrence patterns following pterygium surgery with conjunctival autografts

Session Details

Session Title: Cornea Surgical II

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 16/09/2014 | 08:00-10:30

Paper Time: 08:06

Venue: Boulevard B

First Author: : K.Kang SOUTH KOREA

Co Author(s): :    S. Kwon   W. Heo   Y. Kwon   H. Kim     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To investigate and classify the morphologic re-proliferative patterns in patients who had pterygium excision with a conjunctival autograft.

Setting:

Hospital based retrospective, non-randomized study.

Methods:

The medical records of 116 eyes of 116 patients who had pterygium excision surgery with a conjunctival autograft between February 2009 and May 2011 were reviewed. We evaluated preoperative morphologic severity, recurrences, and growth patterns, postoperative complications using consecutive anterior photographs. The morphologic regrowth patterns of recurrence cases were classified.

Results:

The recurrence, reproliferation of fibrovascular tissue, was observed in 14 cases (12.1%). Five cases (4.3%) showed clinically significant recurrences. Three different morphologic patterns of recurrence were observed: regrowth over the epithelial defect, transformation of the conjunctival graft into the pterygial tissue and regrowth from unexcised remnant pterygial tissue. Characteristics of fibrovascular growth pattern, origin of regrowth and the severity was shown in each recurrence pattern. Postoperative complications were observed in 25 cases (21.6%). Age less than 40 years (P = 0.019, odds ratio [OR] 5.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34–25.28) and postoperative complication (P = 0.008, OR 6.32, 95% CI 1.62–24.58) were statistically significant in recurrence with the multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model.

Conclusions:

In this study, conjunctival autografts for pterygium surgery showed effective and safe results. However, recurrences were definitely observed in some cases, and unique pathogenic patterns were observed according to its origin. The understanding of morphologic regrowth pattern and pathologic bases will help prevent recurrences in patients who had pterygium surgery.

Financial Interest:

NONE