{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T06:02:35Z","timestamp":1774245755047,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774224000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Pterygium is a prevalent ocular surface disorder globally. Postoperative recurrence poses a significant challenge to clinical management. Current evidence regarding recurrence risk factors is predominantly derived from urban populations. This study aimed to investigate the specific risk factors for pterygium recurrence within a remote population in Southern China.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This retrospective, institution-based case series analyzed 200 patients who underwent primary pterygium excision combined with limbal-conjunctival autograft between January 2016 and February 2022. Patients were stratified into recurrent and non-recurrent groups based on postoperative outcomes. Cumulative recurrence rates were estimated using Kaplan\u2013Meier survival analysis. Multivariate binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent risk factors for recurrence.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The mean time to recurrence was 42.21\u202f\u00b1\u202f22.13\u202fmonths, with a median recurrence-free survival of 72.0\u202fmonths. Compared to the non-recurrent group, patients in the recurrent group were significantly older (67.62\u202f\u00b1\u202f5.79 vs. 60.27\u202f\u00b1\u202f10.33\u202fyears,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001), had lower educational attainment (41.4% vs. 66.1%,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.013), reported longer durations of daily sunlight exposure (5.79\u202f\u00b1\u202f1.01 vs. 4.80\u202f\u00b1\u202f2.17\u202fh,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001) and exhibited poorer preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (0.98\u202f\u00b1\u202f0.75 vs. 0.57\u202f\u00b1\u202f0.60 logMAR, p\u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed advanced age at onset as the sole risk factor of recurrence (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.007).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In rural southern China, pterygium recurrence is distinguished by a delayed onset pattern. Our findings highlight advanced age as a robust independent risk factor in this region, necessitating a shift in clinical focus. Management strategies in underserved areas should prioritize elderly patients through extended follow-up periods and targeted health education to mitigate recurrence risks.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1799127","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]],"date-time":"2026-03-23T05:21:06Z","timestamp":1774243266000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Characteristics and risk factors of recurrent pterygium underwent excision combined with limbal conjunctival autograft in southern rural China"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Xiaoying","family":"Zhu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]},{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Ocular Disease and Optometry Science, Peking University People\u2019s Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Meng","family":"Fan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]},{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Ocular Disease and Optometry Science, Peking University People\u2019s Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jing","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, People\u2019s Hospital of Yudu County","place":["Ganzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Danyang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, People\u2019s Hospital of Yudu County","place":["Ganzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shuaiqing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, The First Hospital of Fangshan District","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ji","family":"Hao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]},{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Ocular Disease and Optometry Science, Peking University People\u2019s Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Penghua","family":"Yuan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, People\u2019s Hospital of Yudu County","place":["Ganzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Enzhong","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]},{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Ocular Disease and Optometry Science, Peking University People\u2019s Hospital","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"719","DOI":"10.1016\/j.survophthal.2018.03.001","article-title":"Prevalence and risk factors of pterygium: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"63","author":"Rezvan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Surv Ophthalmol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11020152","DOI":"10.1177\/25158414211020152","article-title":"Pterygium: an update on pathophysiology, clinical features, and management","volume":"13","author":"Shahraki","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ther Adv Ophthalmol"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"367","DOI":"10.4103\/joco.joco_153_20","article-title":"Recurrent pterygium: a review","volume":"33","author":"Ghiasian","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Curr 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Ophthalmol"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"740","DOI":"10.1097\/ICO.0000000000003422","article-title":"Risk factors for recurrence in the treatment of recurrent pterygium","volume":"43","author":"Kusano","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cornea"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph15010037","article-title":"Occupational exposure to solar radiation at different latitudes and pterygium: a systematic review of the last 10 years of scientific literature","volume":"15","author":"Modenese","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"815","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo.2008.151852","article-title":"The science of pterygia","volume":"94","author":"Bradley","year":"2010","journal-title":"Br J Ophthalmol"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7193","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm11237193","article-title":"Sandwich (amnion\/conjunctival-limbal 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