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. 2011 Jan;18(1):37-41.
doi: 10.4103/0974-9233.75883.

Preoperative subconjunctival injection of mitomycin C versus intraoperative topical application as an adjunctive treatment for surgical removal of primary pterygium

Affiliations

Preoperative subconjunctival injection of mitomycin C versus intraoperative topical application as an adjunctive treatment for surgical removal of primary pterygium

Ehab M Ghoneim et al. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of preoperative local injection of mitomycin C (MMC) to intraoperative application of MMC in the prevention of pterygium recurrence after surgical removal.

Materials and methods: Seventy eyes of 70 patients with primary pterygia were randomly allocated to two groups. The first group (Group A, 35 eyes) received 0.1 ml of 0.15 mg/ml of subconjunctival MMC injected into the head of the pterygium 24 h before surgical excision with the bare sclera technique. The second group (Group B 35 eyes) underwent surgical removal with the bare sclera technique with intraoperative application of MMC (0.15 mg/ml) over bare sclera for 3 min. The study was performed between March 2007 and December 2008, and follow up was performed for 1 year postoperatively. Differences between frequencies in both groups were compared by the Chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Differences between means in both groups were compared by Student's t-test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The rate of pterygium recurrence was 5.70% in Group A and 8.57% in Group B at 1 year postoperatively (P>0.05). Postoperatively, scleral thinning occurred in one eye in each group that resolved by 5 months postoperatively. No serious postoperative complications occurred in either group.

Conclusion: Preoperative local injection of 0.15 mg/ml MMC is as effective as intraoperative topical application of 0.15 mg/ml MMC for preventing pterygium recurrence after surgical removal.

Keywords: Bare Sclera Technique; Mitomycin C; Pterygium; Scleral Thinning.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Left eye of a subject with no signs of recurrence 10 months after pterygium removal with the bare sclera technique and preoperative local injection of mitomycin C (Group A)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mild scleral thinning in the left eye of the patient in Group B 2 months after pterygium surgery

Comment in

References

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