title: Pterygium recurrence, astigmatism and visual acuity following bare-sclera excision and conjunctival autograft with or without additional phototherapeutic keratectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment outcome in patients with pterygium following bare-sclera excision and conjunctival autograft (CAG) with and without phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective comparative analysis of 81 eyes, with primary and recurrent pterygia, that were analyzed for recurrence, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and astigmatism in primary (P1 without PTK, P2 with PTK) and recurrent pterygia (R1 without PTK, R2 with PTK). BCVA and astigmatism were compared in patients with simple CAG alone (group I) or in combination with PTK (group II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recurrence rates were 4.7, 11.6, 16.2, 23.2 and 32.5% at 3, 6, 12, 24 and >24 months (P1), 7.1% at >24 months (P2). Recurrence rates were 5.3, 10.5, 21.1, 21.1 and 26.3% at 3, 6, 12, 24 and >24 months (R1) and 1 recurrence (7.7%) till month 24, and 3 (23.1%) thereafter (R2). BCVA increased from logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution 0.095 ± 0.141 (mean ± SD) at baseline to 0.066 ± 0.09 (group I), and from 0.090 ± 0.164 to 0.054 ± 0.124 (group II). Astigmatism decreased from -1.01 ± 0.90 dpt at baseline to -0.97 ± 1.24 dpt (group I), and from -1.19 ± 1.55 to -0.75 ± 0.87 dpt (group II).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison to CAG alone, additional excimer smoothing with PTK tends to increase BCVA and reduces recurrence rates in patients with primary pterygia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Clinics, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Promesberger
authors.forename: Sharmila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kohli
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Busse
authors.forename: Constantin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Uhlig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D064592:Autografts; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054018:Lasers, Excimer; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018903:Photorefractive Keratectomy; D011625:Pterygium / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012590:Sclera / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology