Pterygium

Pterygium :

 proliferative disorder of conjunctiva

 due to the long-term exposure to
UV rays.

 A pterygium appears as a wing shaped

growth over the sclera in the horizontal
meridian,
  invading into the adjacent cornea.
A pterygium :
 progressive
 atrophic
(degenerated)

The differences between

the two are - Progessive pterygium Atrophic pterygium
Appearance Thick and fleshy Thin and membranous

Blood vessels Very prominent Very few blood vesssels giving a

pale appearance
Cap in front of the
head Present Absent

Continues to advance further Static after an initial period of

Progression
into the cornea growth
 The color depends on the degree of prominence of blood
vessels
 it may be red, thick and fleshy in a progressive
pterygium,
 and pale, thin and membranous in an atrophic
pterygium.

Stocker’s line - A line of iron deposition

adjacent to the head of the pterygium.
It appears in case of chronic pterygium.
A pterygium conisists of the following parts -
• Head :
on the cornea
• Neck : Neck
on the junction between the cornea and
sclera  limbus
• Body / corpus : Head
over the sclera Cap
• Cap : Corpus
opaque infiltration in front of the head of
progressive pterygia
 Grade I

Grade II

Grade III

Grade IV
True Sonde
Sonde

Pterygium :
Sonde tidak tembus Te
m
bu
bus s
te m
i dak
T
Pseudo
Pterygium :
Sonde tembus So nde
Prevent Pterygium

• Use sunglasses to block ultra-

violet rays.
• Wear a hat whenever out in
sun.
• Avoid exposure to
environmental irritants
• smoke,
• dust,
• wind
• chemical pollutants
Treatment of Pterygium

Conservative :
 Grade I - II
 lubricants / steroid  inflamed pterlyum
 sunglasses
Surgical
• For cosmesis
• Grade III – IV
• Progressive pterygium  encroach the visual axis
• May recurrent
Treatment
• Conjunctival autograft
• Amniotic membrane grafting:
The amniotic membrane provides normal
stem cells to promote normal conjunctival
growth.
• Mitomycin C:
inhibits the growth at the conjunctival
levelHelps in prevention of recurrences.

 for preventing recurrency