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Fluorouracil (5-fluorouracil, 5-FU) is a pyrimidine analogue that was originally known for its widespread use as an anticancer drug. The ability of 5-FU to reduce fibroblastic proliferation and subsequent scarring has made it an important adjunct in ocular and periorbital surgeries. It is used in primary glaucoma filtering surgeries and in reviving failing filtering blebs, in dacryocystorhinostomy, pterygium surgery, and in vitreoretinal surgery to prevent proliferative vitreoretinopathy. In addition, 5-FU is also gaining recognition in the treatment and surgical management of ocular surface malignancies like ocular surface squamous neoplasia; however, the specific action of the drug on highly proliferating cells limits its use in primary acquired melanosis of the conjunctiva. When applied topically, this drug has a low rate of sight-threatening adverse effects, is inexpensive, and is easy to administer, making it an important tool in enhancing the success rate in ophthalmic surgery and in reducing the recurrence of ocular surface neoplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitomycin (mitomycin C; MMC) is an antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces caespitosus. The drug is a bioreductive alkylating agent that undergoes metabolic reductive activation, and has various oxygen tension-dependent cytotoxic effects on cells, including the cross-linking of DNA. It is widely used systemically for the treatment of malignancies, and has gained popularity as topical adjunctive therapy in ocular and adnexal surgery over the past 2 decades.In ophthalmic medicine, it is principally used to inhibit the wound healing response and reduce scarring of surgically fashioned ostia. Hence, it has been used as adjunctive therapy in various ocular surgeries, such as glaucoma filtering surgeries, dacryocystorhinostomy, corneal refractive surgery and surgeries for ocular cicatrisation. In addition, it has been used as an adjunct in the surgical management of pterygia, ocular surface squamous neoplasia, primary acquired melanosis with atypia and conjunctival melanoma. In many of these surgeries and ophthalmic pathologies, MMC showed a significant beneficial effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]