Conjunctival Papilloma: Surgical vs. Medical Treatment Outcomes

Abstract

Purpose : Conjunctival papilloma is often resistant to treatment. Various therapies have been reported with no gold standard. This purpose of this study was to compare treatment outcomes after various therapies.

Methods : A retrospective chart review of 30 conjunctival papilloma patients from 2009 - 2020. Data on demographics, tumor characteristics, primary treatment and outcomes were collected. The primary outcome was the frequency of complete tumor resolution and recurrence rate of each primary therapy. The secondary outcome was treatment related side effects.

Results : The mean age was 57.5 years (3-93 years) with male predominance (n=22, 73.3%). Eleven eyes were treated with interferon α-2b (IFN), seven with 5-fluorouracil (5FU), and 10 with excision biopsy and cryotherapy (6 with adjuvant therapy with IFN). The frequency of tumor resolution was 36.4% (4/11), 28.5% (2/7), and 100% (10/10) in each group, respectively. The mean time to resolution was faster in the surgical group compared to the medical group (1 day vs 159 days, p<0.001) There was a trend for a higher tumor recurrence with 11% in the surgical vs 0% in the medical group at 6 months and at 12 months, 22% recurrence in the surgical and 0% in the medical group.

Conclusions : Papilloma resolution is faster with surgical excision as compared to medical therapy. However, recurrences are more frequent after surgical vs medical treatment.

This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.

 

Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier survival curved show time to tumor resolution and time to tumor recurrence between medical and surgical group.

 

Figure 2. A 52-year-old male with conjunctival papilloma in the left eye
A. Slit lamp photo demonstrates the infero-nasal bulbar location of the lesion.
B. Slit lamp photo shows complete resolution of the papilloma after 5 months of topical interferon a-2b (IFN) eyedrops of 1 MIU/ml four times daily.