The prevalence rate of pterygium in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is as high as 15%. Recurrence rates up to 50% are encountered after primary excision. In a country such as PNG where resources in terms of funds and manpower are limited, a simple procedure had to be identified to reduce this alarmingly high rate of pterygium recurrence. This article compares the results of a randomized masked study involving the single intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C solution in 65 eyes undergoing surgery for recurrent pterygium using the bare sclera technique with a similar group of 65 patients in which the drug was not used. The results indicate that a single intraoperative application of mitomycin C solution was enough to reduce the recurrence rate of pterygium to 3% in the treated group as compared to 48% in the untreated group at the end of a 12-month follow-up. In the study it was also seen that, in PNG, pterygia were more common in females and that recurrences tended to occur early and were obvious in the first few weeks following surgery.
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraoperative Care ; Mitomycin - therapeutic use ; Papua New Guinea ; Prevalence