Prospects for the use of optical coherence tomography in angiographic mode in the follow-up of patients with pterygium treatment using two-component autologous fibrin glue

Kozlova Yu.V.

Optical coherence tomography is an additional diagnostic test for studying the structure of pterygium. Angiographic mode allows visualization of the vascular network and its angioarchitecture. A limited number of studies have previously been published on the role of this test in the follow-up of patients with pterygium surgery. Sutureless tissue fixation using two-component autologous fibrin glue reduces conjunctival trauma, accelerates epithelialization, and shortens the patient recovery period. Therefore, it is important to study the feasibility of using angiography in the postoperative follow-up of these patients.

The aim of the study was to fix changes in perilimbal vessels in the early and late postoperative periods following pterygium removal using various methods using adhesive fixation and to explore the potential of using optical coherence tomography (anterior segment angiography) in predicting treatment outcomes.

During the study, all patients diagnosed with primary and recurrent pterygium underwent angiographic (Angio Retina) scanning of the pterygium removal site before surgery, as well as in the early and late postoperative periods, and vascular density was calculated.

The study allowed us to explore the structural features of the vascular network and demonstrated gradual remodeling of the vascular pattern in the postoperative period. Vascular density before and after pterygium removal was higher in patients with recurrent pterygium. The increase in density in the postoperative period was associated with gradual restoration of episcleral vessels in the surgical area. After 6 months of follow-up, initial signs of pterygium recurrence were observed in two cases, manifested by corneal neovascularization, as documented by OCT angiography.

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