AIM: To compare curative effect of autologous corneal limbal stem cell transplantation with grafts having different longitude widths for pterygium.

METHODS: A total of 182 patients(252 eyes)with initial pterygium accepted pterygium resection combined with corneal limbal stem cell transplantation, all of which were divided into two groups according to longitude width of conjunctival graft during the operations. When performing stem cell transplantation, patients with conjunctival grafts being taken out with longitude widths by 3mm had been classified into small graft group(n=86, 110 eyes), while those with longitude widths by 5mm had been classified into large graft group(n=96, 142 eyes). We observed and statistically analyzed the recurrence rates of the two groups at 1, 6, 12 and 24mo after operations during follow-up period.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference of recurrence rate between the small graft group and large graft group in early phase(1～12mo)after transplantation(P>0.05), while there was statistically significant difference in long term(24mo)after transplantation(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: Conjunctival graft with larger size of longitude width is in favor of reducing the long term recurrence risk after pterygium resection combined with autologous corneal limbal stem cell transplantation.