Long-term results of fractionated strontium-90 radiation therapy for pterygia

Soft X-Ray Therapy of Recurrent Pterygium – an Alternative to 90Sr Eye Applicators

“…In a recently published multivariate analysis of 490 cases, among them 39 recurrences, Nishimura et al [13] found only recurrent pterygia and delay of radiation for more than 3 days significantly influencing local control rate. Monteiro-Grillo et al [11] compared the results of postoperative 90 Sr irradiation with three fractions of 10 Gy to six fractions of 10 Gy in primary and in recurrent situations.…”

“…Postoperative irradiation alone following bare sclera excision of recurrence results in re-recurrence rates in the range of 25-35% [7,9,11,13,15,21]. One crucial prognostic factor in postoperative treatment in primary as well as in recurrent pterygia is a minimum delay of the start of irradiation.…”

Pterygial Derived Fibroblasts Express Functionally Active Histamine and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors

“…It is therefore reasonable to assume that medical intervention will remain curative with respect to this condition. Several therapeutic approaches have been proposed, but these often utilize generally acting molecules (Kria, Ohia and Amemiya, 1998b;Oguz, Basar and Gurler, 1999;Wong and Law, 1999) or employ radioactive sources (Paryani et al, 1994; Nishimura et al, 2000) to inhibit recurrence. In order to develop more selective approaches an improved understanding of the cellular systems expressed in the pathological tissue is required.…”

Immune System Modifications Induced in a Mouse Model of Chronic Exposure to90Sr

“…During follow-up periods lasting between 1 and 19 years, the only complications noted were one case each of corneal scarring, iritis, conjunctivitis, mild irritation, and, in a diabetic patient, scleral thinning. A complication rate of 1.8% was reported for a study of 490 eyes (399 patients) that received doses between 31 and 42 Gy (3,100-4,200 rad) in four or five fractions over 29 days (Nishimura et al 2000). Scleral thinning, not severe enough to require treatment, was reported for four eyes in three patients 0.5, 2, and 9 years after treatment.…”