title: Primary pterygium recurrence time.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The time to recurrence after surgical removal of primary pterygium (pterygium) and the association between the rate of recurrence and the postoperative interval remain unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the amount of follow-up time needed to identify recurrence in patients after surgical removal of pterygium.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the files of 143 patients (143 eyes) with recurrent pterygium to determine the interval from surgery to recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all (91.6%) of the recurrences appeared by 360 days after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One year is the optimal follow-up time to identify recurrence of pterygium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and External Eye Disease Clinic, Rabin Medical Center (Golda Campus), Petah Tiqva and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. lavizar@bezeqint.net
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Avisar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arnon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avisar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weinberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011625:Pterygium / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors