Subconjunctival mitomycin C as adjunctive therapy before pterygium excision

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of subconjunctival mitomycin C as adjunctive therapy before pterygium surgery.

Design: Prospective noncomparative case series.

Participants: Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients.

Intervention: Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients prospectively received 0.1 ml of 0.15 mg/ml mitomycin C subconjunctivally injected into the head of the pterygium 1 month before bare sclera surgical excision.

Main outcome measure: Recurrence of pterygia.

Results: The pterygia resolved in 34 (94%) of 36 eyes, with a recurrence rate of 6% over a mean follow-up of 24.4 months. No wound-healing complication developed in any patient.

Conclusions: Subconjunctival mitomycin C is an effective treatment before pterygium excision. Subconjunctival injection allows exact titration of mitomycin C delivery to the activated fibroblasts and minimizes epithelial toxicity.