Assessment of the Most Common Pterygium Symptoms and Risk Factors Leading to the Decision for its Surgical Removal-A long term study

Purpose: Pterygium is a benign growth of conjunctival tissue frequently related to chronic sunlight exposure and hot and dry climate. Purpose of this study was to prospectively analyze the most common pterygium symptoms and risk factors leading to the decision for surgical removal. Methods: 40 patients (27 males, 13 females), mean age 48.75 years old (SD 8.5), with primary pterygium and no other eye disease participated in the study. The predominant symptoms caused by the pterygium were assessed using a questionnaire. Results: The predominant symptoms associated with the pterygium were a feeling of discomfort or foreign body sensation in all 40 patients (100%), redness in 33 (82.5%), increased lacrimation in 17 (52.5%), aesthetic reasons in 22 (55%) and visual disturbance by means of astigmatism or extension of the pterygium to the optical axis in 8 (20%). The study showed a higher incidence of pterygium in the age group of 41 50 years with male preponderance probably due to chronic dryness, and exposure to ultraviolet light, dust, and hot winds. For younger patients, the predominant reason for choosing surgical removal was that the patients are not content with external appearance caused by pterygium and in contrast lacrimation was the predominant reason for the older. In most patients, visual disturbance was not a significant cause although astigmatism in eyes with pterygium was 3.51 D (SD 1.82) and 0.95 D (SD 0.78) in healthy eyes respectively. Discussion: The main symptom in patients with pterygium is foreign body sensation, meanwhile aesthetic consideration and increased lacrimation are the main reasons leading to surgical removal decision for younger and older patients, respectively.