Long term results of non-surgical, exclusive strontium-/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation of pterygia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate long term results and to demonstrate safety and efficacy of non-surgical, exclusive strontium-/yttrium-90 beta irradiation of non-operated pterygia.


METHODS
Between March 1977 and April 1999, 43 patients with 54 primary pterygia were treated with an exclusive strontium-/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation up to a total dose of 50 Gy divided in four fractions with one week apart. All patients were referred from the same ophthalmologist. The average follow-up were 112(+/-88 months (range, 12-321 months), median 96 months.


RESULTS
The patients were referred with early symptomatic manifestations of pterygia with a mean horizontal diameter of 1.6+/-0.7 mm (range, 0.5-4.5 mm), which shrank to a mean diameter of 0.9+/-0.6 mm (range, 0-2.5 mm) after irradiation (P<0.005). There was a reduction of size in every pterygium, none of the 54 pterygia developed a recurrent growth and there were no patient with any late side effect. Following the strontium-/yttrium-90 application the process came up with an obliteration of the vessels, which resulted in a grey, thin and avascular pannus.


CONCLUSIONS
Strontium-/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation as an exclusive, non-surgical treatment for early pterygia provides a significant reduction of the size of the irradiated pterygia, is a safe and effective therapy to prevent a recurrence and can be performed without late side effects.
Pajic
Bojan
B
Department of Ophthalmology, Klinik Pallas, Louis-Giroud-Strasse 20, 4600 Olten, Switzerland.
Greiner
Richard H
RH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011625:Pterygium / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use
D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes