title: Amniotic membrane transplantation with narrow-strip conjunctival autograft vs conjunctival autograft for recurrent pterygia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) associated with narrow-strip conjunctival autograft vs conjunctival autograft alone for the treatment of recurrent pterygium.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective consecutive interventional study, patients with recurrent pterygium were randomly divided into one of 2 groups; group 1: patients undergoing AMT associated with autologous conjunctival graft; and group 2: patients undergoing conjunctival autograft alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 80 operated eyes included in this study, 39 (group 1, mean patient age 52.1 ± 11.7 SD years) underwent AMT associated with narrow-strip conjunctival autograft and 41 (group 2, mean patient age 45.8 ± 12.9 SD years) underwent conjunctival autograft alone. In group 1, 6 eyes (15.4%) had grade 1 pterygium, 19 eyes (48.7%) had grade 2 pterygium, and 14 eyes (35.9%) had grade 3 pterygium. In the second group, 5 eyes (12.2%) had grade 1 pterygium, 18 eyes (43.9%) had grade 2 pterygium, and 14 eyes (35.9%) had grade 3 pterygium. No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups (p = 0.752). Of the 39 eyes in group 1, recurrent pterygium was observed in 7 cases (17.9%). However, of the 41 eyes in group 2, recurrent pterygium was observed in only 4 cases (9.75%). No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups (p = 0.2684).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate that conjunctival autograft alone might be a better surgical choice for the treatment of recurrent pterygia than combining it with AMT; however, this second option provides a good surgical alternative in cases where little conjunctival donor tissue is available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo - Brazil.
authors.forename: José B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo - Brazil.
authors.forename: Charles Costa
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: De Farias
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo - Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávio E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo - Brazil.
authors.forename: José Á
authors.initials: JÁ
authors.lastname: Pereira Gomes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000650:Amnion / Q000637:transplantation*; D064592:Autografts; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011625:Pterygium / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D014019:Tissue Donors; D016896:Treatment Outcome