Pseudoelastic nature of pterygium.

Elastotic degeneration in cases of pterygium, as in pinguecula, is characterized by the appearance of vermiform, coiled, and knotty fibres which take up elastic stain, but these so-called elastic fibres appear to differ from natural elastic tissue. There are certain skin diseases in which an apparent increase in elastic fibres is seen (Tunbridge, Tattersall, Hall, Astbury, and Reed, I952). Gillman, Penn, Bronks, and Roux (I954) called these fibres "elastotically degenerated" because they can only mimic the staining character of true elastic tissue. They remain unaffected by the pancreatic elastase, an enzyme discovered by Balo and Banga (I949) which is supposed to have a specific action on such tissue (Hall, Reed, and Tunbridge, I952).