OBJECTIVE: To compare the recurrence rate after conjunctival autograft alone versus conjunctival autograft with mitomycin-C in the treatment of primary and recurrent pterygium.
METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, interventional comparative study of patients with primary and recurrent pterygium who were randomized to receive either simple excision with conjunctival autograft (CA) or simple excision with CA and mitomycM-C applied. They were followed up for 6 months and observed for recurrence of the pterygium. Statistical analyses were used to compare the 2 groups.
RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients (62 eyes) diagnosed with primary and recurrent pterygium were evaluated. The mean age was 44.81 ± 12.35 years (range 25 to 70 years). Thirty eyes were treated with conjunctival autograft (15 primary, 15 recurrent) and 32 eyes (17 primary, 15 recurrent) with conjunctival autograft combined with Mtraoperati-ve application of low-dose raitomycin. -C (0.02% for 3 minutes). The mean follow-up period was 25 ± 1.40 months (range 24 to 28 months). There was a 3.22% recurrence rate (2 eyes) from the recurrent pterygium group. There was no significant difference 11.1  the rate of recurrence (p = 0.53) between the 2 treatments for both primary and recurrent pterygium. No mitomycM C-related complication was observed during the length of the study.
CONCLUSION: Conjunctival autograft surgery alone for primary and recurrent pterygium is effective and safe in reducing the recurrence rate of pterygium within" 6 months.