Temporalis Fascia Grafting in Scleral Necrosis after Pterygium Excision

We performed scleral grafting with autogenous temporalis fascia and autogenous conjunctiva in 32 patients (32 eyes) in scleral necrosis after pterygium excision. The average age of patients was 54.3 years (range, 38 to 74 years). Nine of them were male and twenty-three were female. The intervals between pterygium excision and scleral necrosis were from 2 months to 23 years (mean, 6.2 years). After the mean follow-up 6.6 months, in 29 eyes graft was stably adhered but in three eyes graft was melted. Conjunctival wound dehiscence and conjunctival necrosis were noticed in three eyes and one eye respectively. There were no cases showing significant difference between the preoperative and the postoperative visual acuity and intraocular pressure. Autogenous temporalis fascia appears to be a good alternative to homologous sclera for scleral reinforcement.

Experimental Scleral Grafting with Dacron Patch

We conducted experimental studies to evaluate the possibility of Dacron patch for artificial sclera and to gain basic data for practical approach. Forty eyes of twenty rabbits were randomly assigned to experimental or control eye in both eyes. The lamellar-thickness scleral resection was performed and followed by implantation of Dacron and homologous scleral patch respectively. We examined them after one, two, four and 12 weeks. Grossly adhesion of Dacron patch was stable after four weeks. Histologically Dacron graft evoked an outer capsule and a well-vascularized granulomatous foreign body reaction. There were fibrous and vascular ingrowth securety anchored graft to bed and adhesion was uniform and firm throughout the tissue. Attachment of homolgous graft to bed was poor after 1 week but stable after two weeks. Dacron patch appears to be a good alternative to homologous sclera for scleral reinforcement.