Dr.Nilesh Kumar, K20052
Pterygium is the growth of altered bulbar conjunctiva onto the cornea. The currently accepted treatment of pterygium is its surgical excision done by sharp dissection. 20% ethanol has been used to create superficial corneal flaps without any proven side-effects.
Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of 20% ethanol as an adjunct to pterygium excision. Methodology: It was a double-blind randomized controlled trial for 4 months duration at a tertiary hospital.
Results: 80 eyes were randomized into control and case groups. There were no major side effects noted in the case group, with a change of 0.5±0.1D of astigmatism in the case group compared to 0.78±0.2D in control group. Epithelial healing time was significantly faster in the case group than control group. No recurrence was found up till 6 monthly follow-ups.
Conclusion: 20% ethanol can be used as an adjunct to creating a smooth plane of dissection which gives a faster healing time, reduced amount of post-operative astigmatism.
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