Comparison of Amniotic Membrane Transplantation Versus Autologus Stem Cell Transplantation for Recurrent Pterygium

Purpose: To compare the outcome of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) versus autologus limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT) in the management of recurrent pterygium. Setting: Suez Canal University Hospital, Ophthalmology Department, Ismailia, Egypt. Methods: This is a comparative prospective case series study included forty two eyes with recurrent pterygia. They were equally and randomly assigned to either amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) or autologus limbal stem cell transplantation (LSCT). Eyes were analyzed preoperatively and followed for 6 months postoperatively. Results: The study included 18 males and 24 females. The mean age was 51.09±11.3 years in the AMT group and 43.57±14.9 in the LSCT group. The mean preoperative best corrected visual acuity was 0.41±0.29 in the AMT and 0.52±0.22 in the LSCT groups upon inclusion into the study. The mean postoperative best corrected visual acuity was 0.68±0.21 in the AMT and 0.79± 0.18 in the LSCT groups. There was a highly statistically significant difference between the results. There were no intraoperative complications. While postoperatively complications including vascularization, cicatrization, chronic inflammation and recurrence were higher in the AMT group. Conclusion: The data support the efficacy of autologus limbal stem cell transplantation for recurrent pterygium with favorable outcome and less complication.