Abstract
Purpose: :
To compare the clinical outcome in surgically treated pterygium patients with cryopreserved amniotic membrane transplantation versus lyophilized amniotic membrane transplantation.
Methods: :
60 cases of primary pterygium in patients older than 50 years were surgically excised and received either cryopreserved or lyophilized amniotic membrane transplantation. Mean follow-up period was 22 ± 3.8 months, and all patients were examined for recurrence, which was graded from G0(no vessel) to G3(fibrotic tissue invading the limbus).
Results: :
25 out of 30 cases in lyophilized amniotic membrane transplantation group showed no recurrence(grade 0), and 3 case of grade 2 recurrence and 2 cases of grade 3 were observed. On the contrary, 27 out of 30 cases in amniotic membrane transplantation group showed no recurrence(grade 0), and 2 cases of grade 1 recurrence and 1 case of grade 3 recurrence were observed. Furthermore, formation of conjunctival granuloma & injection is less in patients with lyophilized amniotic membrane transplantation group.
Conclusions: :
This study showed that both cryopreserved and lyophilized amniotic membrane transplantation can be safe and effective adjunctive treatments for primary pterygium. However, lyophilized amniotic membrane transplantation after the excision of primary pterygium seems to have a slightly lower recurrence rate and granuloma formation than cryopreserved amniotic membrane transplantation for 22 months of mean follow up period.
Keywords: pterygium • transplantation • cornea: clinical science