Pterygium is a benign triangular fibrovascular tissue that grows on the eye’s conjunctiva and can spread to the cornea limbus and beyond. It usually appears nasally and in rare cases it can appear on a temporal side. In advanced cases when the pterygium invades the cornea, it causes changes in its optical characteristics and hence, decrease of visual acuity. Pterygium usually develops at the age of 30-50.  

Factors leading to the development of the pterygium:

• Ultraviolet Light (UV);
• Dry environment;
• Outdoor activities such as surfing or working in a field seem to be related with the pterygium development and for this reason it is also referred as “surfer’s eye” or “farmer’s eye”.

Symptoms:

Early pterygium is usually asymptomatic and doesn’t cause discomfort. As it grows, the signs of the ocular surface irritation appear, such as dryness, redness, watery eyes, foreign body sensation. In more advanced cases when the pterygium invades the cornea, it causes astigmatism and the visual acuity decreases.

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of the pterygium is made during the examination at a slit lamp. For a proper evaluation the following exams are necessary: visual acuity measurement, keratometry, corneal topography and anterior segment optical-coherence tomography (OCT) might be required.

Treatment:

Management of the pterygium depends on the size, location and the severity. At early stages lubricating eye drops can aid with symptoms such as irritation, redness and foreign body sensation. At more advanced stages surgical treatment is recommended either for cosmetic reason or for the prevention of the possible complications and for the improvement of the visual acuity if the pterygium invades the cornea.

Pterygium recurrence is possible after the surgical treatment and to avoid its reappearance the patient should take into consideration the below recommendations:

• Protection against UV light (suing sunglasses, hats etc.);
• Avoid exposure to environmental irritants such as smoke, wind and chemical pollutants;
• Use of lubricating eye drops in dry conditions.

If you have pterygium, our clinic offers cutting-edge technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.