title: Does topical bevacizumab prevent postoperative recurrence after pterygium surgery with conjunctival autografting?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of topical bevacizumab use on postoperative pterygium recurrence in eyes who underwent pterygium excision with limbal-conjunctival autograft transplantation (LCAT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight eyes of 88 patients with primary pterygium were included. Pterygia were graded preoperatively from type 1 to type 3 (type 1 atrophic, type 3 inflamed) according to the inflammatory status. The eyes were preoperatively randomized to receive topical steroid and antibiotic treatment (group 1, 46 eyes) and additional topical bevacizumab (5 mg/mL; group 2, 42 eyes) in the postoperative period. All eyes underwent pterygium excision and LCAT. Medications were tapered and discontinued at one month. Postoperative complications and recurrence rates were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up duration was 29.3±4.2mo (24-52mo) and 28.5±3.4 (24-48mo) in group 1 and 2, respectively (P>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences regarding the age or gender between groups (P>0.05). Also, the difference between groups with respect to pterygium type was not significant. During the follow-up period, recurrence developed in 2 eyes (4.3%) in group 1, whereas in one eye (2.4%) in group 2. No statistically significant difference between groups was found in recurrence rates (P>0.05). No re-operation for recurrence was necessary during the follow-up period in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Topical bevacizumab seems to have no additonal effect on pterygium recurrence after LCAT.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Baskent University, Konya 42080 Turkey.
authors: Aylin
authors: A
authors: Karalezli
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Izmir University, Izmir 35530, Turkey.
authors: Cem
authors: C
authors: Kucukerdonmez
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Bayındır Hospital, Ankara 06520 Turkey.
authors: Yonca A
authors: YA
authors: Akova
authors: Department of Ophthalmology Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya 42050 Turkey.
authors: Bengu Ekinci
authors: BE
authors: Koktekir
keywords: limbal-conjuctival autograft; pterygium; recurrence; topical bevacizumab