Greek for "small wing", Pterygium is colloquially known as eye growth, skin tag, or wing of the bird.
It occurs with the abnormal growth of blood vessels and connective tissue belonging to the conjunctival membrane on the white part of the eye, advancing towards the transparent corneal layer.
It occurs with the abnormal growth of blood vessels and connective tissue belonging to the conjunctival membrane on the white part of the eye, advancing towards the transparent corneal layer.
- It is usually seen in individuals exposed to sunlight (ultraviolet rays) or working in dusty and dry environments.
- There is often a familial predisposition in many patients.
- It can occur in one or both eyes.
- It is not contagious.
Treatment of Pterygium
There is no known drug treatment. The only treatment is surgery.When deciding on surgery, the size and location of the pterygium are crucial. While a small lesion can only be monitored, surgical treatment is required in a patient with actively growing or a lesion that approaches the pupil too closely. Sometimes, surgery may be decided when the lesion socially bothers the patient. Depending on the surgical method applied, recurrence rates vary. The recurrence of the tissue after only removal and completion of the surgery is reported to be between 30-70%. In the method called graft surgery, where a tissue piece is taken from another part of the eye and placed in the removed area, the operation takes longer, but the recurrence rate drops to around 3%.