title: Clinical analysis of risk factors contributing to recurrence of pterygium after excision and graft surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find the risk factors related to the reproliferation of the pterygial tissue after excision and graft surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Charts of 130 eyes of 130 patients who had pterygial excision from March 2006 to April 2011 were reviewed. Preoperative pterygium morphology, surgical methods, and adjunctive treatments were statistically analyzed for their relationship with recurrence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow-up period, recurrence was observed in 20 eyes (15.4%). None of the preoperative morphologic features were affected the rate of the recurrence. However, an age < 40y [P =0.085, odds ratio (OR) 3.609, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.838-15.540] and amniotic membrane graft instead of conjunctival autograft (P =0.002, OR 9.093, 95% CI 2.316-35.698) were statistically significant risk factors for recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that intraoperative mitomycin C (MMC) (P=0.072, OR 0.298, 95% CI 0.080-1.115) decreased the rate of recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger age is a risk factor for reproliferation of pterygial tissue after excision and amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) are less effective in preventing recurrence of pterygium after excision based on the comparison between conjunctival autograft and AMT. Intraoperative MMC application and conjunctival autograft reduce recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Jung-Gu, Daegu 700-721, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Jung-Gu, Daegu 700-721, South Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics, Catholic University of Daegu School of medicine, Namgu, Daegu 705-718, South Korea.
authors.forename: Im Hee
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Jung-Gu, Daegu 700-721, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Kyun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: amniotic membrane graft; conjunctival autograft; mitomycin C; pterygium recurrence