Treatment of primary pterygium

To compare preserved human amniotic membrane transplantation and conjunctival autografts for treatment of primary pterygium.

Thirty-seven eyes of 35 patients with primary pterygium underwent surgical excision. In group A, 25 eyes were treated with conjunctival autografts. In group B, 12 eyes were treated with preserved human amniotic membrane transplantation. These two groups were compared in terms of complications, recurrence, and final appearance, prospectively.

We observed two cases of recurrence in group A and five cases of recurrence in group B. The onset of recurrence was about 5.5 months in both groups. We observed two eyes with Dellen ulcer and one case with a Tenon's cyst in the superior temporal quadrant in group A and one case of Dellen ulcer and granulation tissue of one eye in group B.

We suggest that free conjunctival autografting is a more effective technique in primary pterygium in terms of lowering recurrences compared with the amniotic membrane transplantation technique.