Role of mitomycin C in pterygium surgery.

Mitomycin C in the form of eye drops in a concentration of 0.4 mg/ml (0.04%) was used as adjunctive treatment for primary and recurrent pterygium after surgical excision. The study was concurrent in nature and consisted of 32 pterygia in 30 patients and was done over a period of 36 months. The object was to observe the effect of mitomycin C drops on pterygium recurrence after surgical excision. Fifteen eyes of 15 patients were treated with 'bare sclera technique' for pterygium excision. Nine patients showed recurrence occurring within first 6 months of surgery. On the other hand 17 eyes of 15 patients after bare sclera pterygium excision received mitomycin 0.4 mg/ml (0.04%) eye drops four times a day for 2 weeks from first postoperative day. There was no recurrence of pterygium in this group. Follow up time for these cases ranged from 13-19 months.