Removal of ocular surface squamous neoplasia with cryotherapy and amniotic membrane transplantation

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is the most common nonpigmented tumor of the ocular surface and is commonly found in elderly, fair-skinned males. Other risk factors include ultraviolet light exposure, cigarette smoking, human immunodeficiency virus, human papillomavirus, and petroleum products. Treatment of OSSN with surgical excision alone has a higher rate of disease recurrence compared to excision with cryotherapy. Other adjunctive treatment modalities include 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin-C, and interferon-α2b. Our preferred method of treatment includes excision with wide surgical margins, alcohol epitheliectomy of involved corneal cells, cryotherapy to the limbus and conjunctival margins, and closure with amniotic membrane transplantation. The purpose of this article is to describe the surgical technique for removal of OSSN with sutureless amniotic membrane transplantation.