Pterygium
A pterygium is tissue overgrowth from the sclera toward the cornea. This growth usually occurs in the nasal side and is triangular in shape. The overgrowth can appear reddish or pinkish in color and may cause discomfort for the patient.
Symptoms
A pterygium is usually a painless condition.
It is considered more of an aesthetic issue when the tissue overgrowth has not obscured the pupil or vision. Usually, people with pterygium experience the following symptoms:
- Mild discomfort such as a burning sensation, tearing, itching, and foreign body sensation
- Astigmatism due to the tissue overgrowth over the cornea that may cause blurring of both distant and near vision
- Reddish or pinkish discoloration of the tissue overgrowth that may be of cosmetic concern to the patient
- If the pterygium advances further to obscure the pupil, then vision may be affected.
Causes and Risk Factors
The exact cause of pterygium is not known, but studies have indicated UV radiation exposure to be a major risk factor for pterygium. People living near the equator have higher incidences of pterygium, which may be due to exposure to windy, sunny, or dry climates. Genetic preponderance to pterygium has also been suggested by some studies to be a risk factor.
Treatment
A pterygium is usually treated symptomatically to provide relief from the symptoms. Symptoms such as foreign body sensation, burning, tearing, and itching can be effectively managed with artificial tears. If the pterygium progresses further to obscure vision, then surgical removal of the pterygium may be essential. Also, should the pterygium progress further, surgery must be done early on to avoid the potential of corneal scarring.
However, surgery is usually not done unless absolutely necessary to avoid unnecessary complications. A technique called conjunctival auto-grafting is done in those patients requiring surgical removal of pterygium. In conjunctival autograft surgery, the bare sclera that is exposed after removal of the pterygium is covered by a conjunctival graft from a healthy part of the patient’s own conjunctiva.
Prevention
As the risk factor most associated with a pterygium is UV ray exposure from the sun, protecting the eyes by wearing sunglasses can be an effective method to prevent a pterygium from developing or worsening further. Sunglasses can also be effective to minimize exposure to other known risk factors for pterygium such as wind and sand.