If you live in a sunny or equatorial area, chances are you’ve seen a pterygium or perhaps even have one yourself. You may not know what it’s called, but it’s likely you’ve seen these triangular, fleshy, whitish-yellowish growths one someone’s eye. With a prevalence up to 15% in the US depending on your exact location, these wing-shaped growths are fairly common.
What is a Pterygium?
Also known as surfer’s eye, pterygia are thought to be a result of ultraviolet exposure. These overgrowths of tissue originate from the whites of the eye but spread, uninvited, over the transparent cornea which covers the colored iris. A pterygium itself is not considered cancerous, but there are some eye cancers that may mimic the appearance of a pterygium.
In addition to UV exposure, other risk factors for pterygia include:
- Genetics
- Dry eye
- Exposure to wind and dust
Studies have found that men are more likely to develop pterygia compared to women, but this may be partly or completely due to a higher likelihood of men spending more time outdoors. Countries closer to the equator tend to report a higher prevalence of pterygia, most likely due to a higher level of UV radiation at these latitudes.
Symptoms of a Pterygium
It is possible for a pterygium to be quiet and well-behaved and never kick up a fuss. However, if your pterygium is the fussy sort, you may experience symptoms such as:
- A gritty, irritated eye
- Redness and inflammation of the pterygium
- The sensation of a foreign particle in the eye
- Blurriness and distortion to your vision
- Increased glare and starburst patterns from lights
For some people, the only issue ever caused by their pterygium is that it simply doesn’t look nice.
Pterygium Management
Many pterygia can be managed with simple remedies such as avoiding exposure to environmental factors that trigger irritation or using lubricating eye drops. A red, sore, inflamed pterygium can typically be calmed with steroid eye drops, prescribed by your eye doctor or family physician. However, there may be some situations where more decisive action – surgery – needs to be taken. Your eye doctor may suggest you consider pterygium surgery if:
- Your pterygium is constantly inflamed or sore and medications or lubricants are just not enough
- The pterygium has grown so far as to cause induced astigmatism or otherwise interfere with your vision
- The pterygium is large enough to restrict your eye movements
- You really don’t like the look of it
At the moment there is no universal consensus on the best approach for surgical management of pterygium. A number of different surgical techniques exist plus a number of adjunctive therapies that are applied in addition to the excision of the pterygium. The ultimate goal of pterygium surgery and all these adjunct therapies is not only to remove that pterygium but also to keep it away. The unfortunate fact is that pterygia can often recur, and the holy grail of pterygium removal is a technique that entirely eliminates the pterygium from ever coming back.
At the moment, one of the most popular techniques is surgical removal of the pterygium followed by a conjunctival autograft. This means a section of healthy conjunctiva tissue is taken from elsewhere in your own eye and used to cover the excision site. Pterygia removed with the conjunctival autograft technique tends to carry a rate of recurrence around 5-10%.
So, if you’re wondering whether your pterygium needs to be dealt with – swiftly and harshly – the answer lies in the list of reasons for surgery above. Is the pterygium a problem cosmetically? Is it interfering with your vision? Is it causing you pain or irritation? If the answer to any of these is yes, it may be time to see an ophthalmologist specializing in pterygium removal.