Subconjunctival mitomycin C as adjunctive therapy before pterygium excision

• Published in: Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.) Vol. 110; no. 5; pp. 1012 - 1016
• Main Authors: Donnenfeld, Eric D, Perry, Henry D, Fromer, Susan, Doshi, Sima, Solomon, Renée, Biser, Seth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Conjunctiva; Diseases of eyelid, conjunctiva and lacrimal tracts; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Injections, Intralesional; Male; Medical sciences; Mitomycin - therapeutic use; Ophthalmology; Preoperative Care; Prospective Studies; Pterygium - drug therapy; Pterygium - pathology; Pterygium - surgery; Recurrence; Safety; Treatment Outcome; Human; Pterygium; Therapy; Local administration; Eye disease; Chemotherapy; Mitomycin; Treatment; Excision; Combined treatment; Conjunctiva disease
• ISSN: 0161-6420; 1549-4713
• DOI: 10.1016/S0161-6420(03)00091-5

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of subconjunctival mitomycin C as adjunctive therapy before pterygium surgery. Prospective noncomparative case series. Thirty-six eyes of 36 patients. 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. Recurrence of pterygia. 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. 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.