Prospective Study of Exclusive Strontium-/Yttrium-90 β-Irradiation of Primary and Recurrent Pterygia with No Prior Surgical Excision

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Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the consecutive treatment results regarding pterygium recurrence and the efficacy of exclusive strontium-/ yttrium-90 β-irradiation for primary and recurrent pterygia and to analyze the functional outcome. Patients and Methods: Between October 1974 and December 2005, 58 primary and 21 recurrent pterygia were exclusively treated with strontium-/yttrium-90 β-irradiation with doses ranging from 3,600 to 5,500 cGy. The follow-up time was 46.6 ± 26.7 months, with a median of 46.5 months. Results: The treatment led to a size reduction in all pterygia (p < 0.0001). Neither recurrences nor side effects were observed during therapy and follow-up in this study. Best-corrected visual acuity increased (p = 0.0064). Corneal astigmatism was reduced in recurrent pterygia (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Exclusive strontium-/yttrium-90 β-irradiation of pterygia is a very efficient and well-tolerated treatment, with remarkable aesthetic and rehabilitative results in comparison to conventional treatments, especially for recurrent lesions which have undergone prior surgical excision.

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