Pterygium Excision with Primary Closure in Sokoto, North West Nigeria

Background: The essence of pterygium surgery is to excise the pterygium and inhibit recurrence. Multiple surgical techniques have evolved over the years to excise the pterygium and inhibit its recurrence.
Objective: To determine the outcome of pterygium excision with primary closure in terms of recurrence.
Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of all patients who had pterygium excision with primary repair during the study period at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital and Specialist Hospital, Sokoto was undertaken. Data on demographic variables, extent of pterygium and pterygium recurrence after 6 months and postoperative
complications were extracted and analyzed.
Results: There were a total of 32 eyes in 32 patients studied with age range between 26 to 68 years {mean age of 47.2 (SD +12.32)}. There were 15 males and 17 females (M:F = 1:1). Majority of the patients had stage 3 pterygium (65.3%) followed by stage 2 (27.2%) and stage 4 pterygium (7.5%) was the least in frequency P=0.02, CI (2.50-2.95). There were twenty-nine patients (90.6%) with primary pterygia while three (9.4%) had recurrent pterygia. 56.2% of the patients had occupations with possible significant exposure to actinic damage. Recurrence occurred in 12.5% of the patients after 6 months’ follow-up.
Conclusion: Pterygium excision with primary closure appears to be safe and effective. Future comparative case series and randomized controlled studies are recommended