Conjunctival autografting combined with low-dose mitomycin C for prevention of primary pterygium recurrence.

Purpose: To compare the clinical outcome of pterygium surgery combining intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) with a free conjunctival autograft, with three other methods of pterygium surgery, including intraoperative MMC alone, conjunctival autograft alone, and bare sclera without adjunctive treatment.

Design: Interventional, randomized and in part nonrandomized, prospective, comparative study.

Methods: setting: A university medical center department of ophthalmology.

Study Population: One hundred and twenty patients underwent pterygium excision surgery. These patients were divided into four treatment groups.

Intervention: In group 1 (30 patients), MMC, 0.2 mg/ml, was applied for three minutes. In group 2 (30 patients), conjunctival autografting was performed. Group 3 (30 patients) received sodium chloride 0.9% only, and group 4 (30 patients) underwent conjunctival autografting combined with one minute application of MMC, 0.2 mg/ml.

Main Outcome Measure: Recurrence rates and complications.

Results: Pterygium recurred in two patients (6.6%) in group 1, in four patients (13.3%) in group 2, in 14 patients (46.6%) in group 3, and in none of the patients in group 4. chi(2) analysis revealed a significantly lower recurrence rate in group 4 compared with group 2 (P = .038) and with group 3 (P < .0001). Epithelialization of the wounds was complete within 14 days of surgery. No complications were demonstrated in any of the study groups except for one case of minor melting of the flap in group 4.

Conclusions: This study indicates that pterygium excision with a free conjunctival autograft combined with intraoperative low-dose MMC is a safe and effective technique in pterygium surgery.