ABSTRACT
AIM: To compare the clinical outcomes of pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells or transplantation of conjunctival autograft with stem cells to treat and prevent the recurrence of pterygium.METHODS: Fifty patients (60 eyes) were divided into 2groups, and pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells (group A) and pterygium excision followed by transplantation of conjunctiva autograft harvested from counter-side limbus with stem cells (group B) were performed respectively.The surgical time of each case was recorded.RESULTS: All the 50 cases (60 eyes) of pterygium were recruited. The epithelization of cornea and conjunctiva in all cases finished in 2-5d, During the follow-up of 6-12mo, pterygium reoccurred in 2 cases (1 in each group), with no difference in recurrence rate. The mean surgical time was 25± 8min for group A,43± 11min for group B, the difference being statistically significant (P＜0.05, t-test).CONCLUSION: Both methods, pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells or transplantation of conjunctival autograft with stem cells are effective on treating and reducing the recurrence of pterygium. Compared with the latter, pterygium excision followed by translocation of adjacent conjunctival autograft with stem cells is simpler and easier to perform, and is preferred by the patients too.