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CASE REPORT article

Front. Med.
Sec. Ophthalmology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1452579
This article is part of the Research Topic Proliferative Dysfunctions on the Eye Surface View all articles

Case report: Superior outcome of labial mucosal autograft over limbal allograft in the management of recurrent pterygium with symblepharon

Provisionally accepted
Joo Youn Oh Joo Youn Oh 1,2*Sang In Khwarg Sang In Khwarg 1,2
  • 1 Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 2 Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    A 40-year-old female visited our clinic for recurred pterygium and symblepharon in the right eye. She had a history of pterygium excision 8 years before. We performed pterygium excision combined initially with mitomycin C (MMC) application and conjunctival autograft and subsequently three times with limbal allografts, MMC application and amniotic membrane transplantation over the course of 7 years. All procedures were unsuccessful, resulting in aggressive recurrences of pterygial mass and symblepharon, extraocular movement limitation, corneal astigmatism and decreased visual acuity. Ultimately, we applied a labial mucosal autograft after the recession of pterygial tissue. No complications were observed. Two and a half years postoperatively, the labial mucosal autograft was well-integrated into the conjunctival surface without symblepharon, recurrence or abduction limitation. Corneal clarity was restored, and astigmatism reduced, with no recurrence of pterygium. In conclusion, labial mucosal autograft is a viable treatment option in complex cases of recalcitrantly recurrent pterygium with symblepharon.

    Keywords: Labial mucosal autograft, Limbal allograft, Oral mucosal graft, Pterygium, Symblepharon

    Received: 21 Jun 2024; Accepted: 23 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Oh and Khwarg. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Joo Youn Oh, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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