[Exposure of normal Tenon's capsule fibroblasts from pterygium to 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C].

PURPOSE To evaluate the fibroblast proliferation activity of normal Tenon's capsule from primary and recurrent patients with pterygium. METHODS A randomized prospective study was performed with 41 normal Tenon's capsule fragments from 21 primary and 20 recurrent patients with pterygium. The sample was collected from the inferior cul-de-sac. Proliferation rate from fibroblasts were evaluated after mitomycin C and 5-fluorouracil exposition. Data were submitted to statistical analysis. RESULTS Of the 41 cultivated normal Tenon's capsules, only 1 from primary and 2 from recurrent pterygium patients proliferated. After antimitotic exposition, the proliferation rate was similar with both drugs. CONCLUSION Mitomycin and 5-fluorouracil promote similar inhibition regarding proliferation of normal Tenon's fibroblast cultures.