Role of concanavalin A lectin in recognition of pterygium remnant after surgical excision: preliminary results of a prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Pterygium is one of the most common conjunctival diseases among ophthalmic pathologies. The frequency of recurrences is high, either after surgical treatment or after treatment combined with mitomycin C or beta-radiation therapy.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether concanavalin A (ConA) lectin bound to the pterygial surface can be used to detect recurrence or remnants of pterygium after surgical excision.


METHODS
This was a prospective study on 20 patients with pterygium, divided in five stages, pre-surgery, early post-surgery (24h), late post-surgery (seven days), very late post-surgery (four weeks) and two months after the procedure. A drop of fluorescein-marked Con A (35 microg/mL) was instilled in the lower conjunctival eyelid sac and the eye was exposed to the light of a Wood's lamp for an average of five seconds.


RESULTS
Out of the 20 patients, eight patients were found to have fluorescent stretch marks over the scar corresponding to residual pterygial tissue at four weeks; two months after the procedure of re-surgery we observed no fluorescent remnants. All residual pterygia were confirmed through histochemistry studies.


CONCLUSIONS
It was possible to detect remnants of pterygium in postoperative patients and recurrences in early pre-clinical stages through the visualization of fluorescent ConA bound to the pterygial surface.
Díaz-González
Juan A
JA
Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Aurelio Valdivieso General Hospital, Health Services of State of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Mayoral-Chávez
Miguel A
MA
Bohórquez
Paulina Leyva
PL
de la Torre
Ma del Pilar Gabriel
Mdel P
Hernández-Cruz
Pedro
P
Martínez-Cruz
Ruth
R
Pérez-Campos
Eduardo
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008934:Mitogens; D010784:Photomicrography; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011625:Pterygium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D051381:Rats; D012008:Recurrence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D008934:Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A
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