Pterygium: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Pterygium, or pterygium, is a fleshy, triangular form of the conjunctiva of the eyeball that can spread to the cornea and affect its curvature, causing astigmatism and changing the refractive force of the eye. Symptoms may include decreased vision and foreign body sensation. It is more common in hot, dry climates. Removal is indicated for cosmetic purposes, to reduce irritation and to improve or maintain vision.
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What causes the pterygium?
Irritation, wind, dust, frequent changes in temperature can trigger the growth of the pterygium, which often leads to visual impairment.
The pterygium usually develops in people who have lived or live in hot weather mestizo, can also be a response to chronic dryness and exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Symptoms of the pterygium
- A slight grayish color is the opacity of the cornea, which develops from the nasal part of the limbus.
- The conjunctiva progressively grows on the cornea in the form of a triangle.
- In the horny epithelium in the region of the head of the pterygium, iron elements (the Stocker line) can be found.
Complications of the pterygium: chronic irritation, a significant decrease in vision, which is due to the achievement of the pterygium of the visual zone, astigmatism or rupture of the pre-corneal tear film. The pterygium may sometimes become inflamed, which requires local application of short courses of corticosteroid drugs of mild effect.
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Treatment of pterygium
Treatment of the pterygium is indicated for cosmetic reasons or for the growth of the pterygium of the visual zone. Pterygium moves rather slowly to the center of the cornea, connecting with the bamen envelope and the superficial layer of the stroma. To stop the growth of the pterygium and prevent recurrence, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic agents ("Alomid", "Lecrolin", dexanos, maxidex, otan-dexamethasone, hydrocortisone-PIC) are used.
Surgical treatment (operation) of the pterygium should be performed at a time when the film has not yet closed the central region of the cornea. When performing the excision of a recurring pterygium, marginal stratified keratoplasty is performed. After removal of the pterygium, persistent superficial opacity of the cornea remains.