title: Young patient's age determines pterygium recurrence after surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is not clear whether demographic or pterygium characteristics or limbal stem cell deficiency determine pterygium recurrence after surgery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether the demographic, pterygium characteristics, or limbal stem cell deficiency determine pterygium recurrence after excision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 190 patients operated and followed-up for 6 months, 101 and 89 underwent free conjunctival autotransplant (CAT) or limbal conjunctival autotransplant (LCAT) respectively. The age, gender, occupation, grade of pterygium extent and degree of fleshiness, and laterality were compared between recurrent and no recurrent pterygia. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the predictors of pterygium recurrence. Recurrence rates after surgery were compared between CAT and LCAT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age range of the 190 patients was 22-65 years, mean ±SD 46.4 ±10.8 years. Pterygium recurred in 52 (27.4%). Thirty-nine (75%) of 52 patients with pterygia that recurred were aged <50 years (young) vs. 72 (52%) of 138 young patients with no recurrence; odds ratio (OR) = 1.54; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.70-3.36; p = 0.28. Thirty-one (60%) of 52 participants with post-surgical recurrent pterygia had large pre-operative pterygium (grade ≥3) vs. 130 (94%) of 138 patients with large pterygia that did not recur; OR = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.04-0.28; p <0.001. Of 101 patients undergoing CAT, 29 (28.7%) experienced recurrence vs. 23 (25.8%) of 89 undergoing LCAT; p = 0.66.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young age seems to be associated with pterygium recurrence after excision followed by conjunctival graft. Large pterygia were protective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Division of Ophthalmology, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anguria
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, University of Limpopo Polokwane Campus, South Africa.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ntuli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Division of Ophthalmology, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carmichael
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016850:Limbus Corneae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011625:Pterygium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Young age; pterygium extent; pterygium recurrence