Pterygium Imaging By Fourier-domain Optical Coherence Tomography

GALANTUOMO, MARIA SILVANA;Napoli P. E.;ZUCCA, IGNAZIO ALBERTO;Ulleri M;FOSSARELLO, MAURIZIO

2012-01-01

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Abstract

Purpose: To describe the changes of reflectivity and the morphological differences of cornea and conjunctiva in patients with pterygium by Fourier-Domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). Methods: We retrospectively examined a sample of 71 patients: 22 eyes with primary pterygium, 31 eyes after successful removal of pterygium, 11 eyes with recurrent pterygium without therapy and 7 eyes with recurrent pterygium treated with steroid therapy. Each patient was carefully examined by using both a slit-lamp and FD-OCT. The absence of fibro-vascular tissue defined the successful eyes after the excision of pterygium. The postoperative examinations were performed from 12 to 24 months. Results: At FD-OCT examination, primary pterygia and recurrent pterygia showed a high level of corneal reflectivity, which was proportional to the extension of sub-epithelial corneal fibrosis. Conversely, successful surgery eyes were strongly related to a low degree of reflectivity of corneal tissue. The conjunctiva showed relevant FD-OCT abnormalities only in patients with recurrent pterygium without steroid therapy. In these cases we detected the presence of cysts within the conjunctival tissue of the wings of recurrent pterygium. Conclusions: In our study we showed that FD-OCT can visualize interesting details of pterygium morphology. In addiction, the reflectivity correlated very well with the extension of the lesions. As a consequence a simultaneous approach by clinical and anterior segment FD-OCT assessment improves the clinician’s ability in the post-surgery understanding and management of pterygium.