Prevalence Of Pterygium Research Articles

A study on prevalence and risk factors of pterygium

A study on prevalence and risk factors of pterygium

Prevalência de pterígio e pinguécula em Populações quilombolas da Amazônia Brasileira

Objetivo: Determinar a prevalência de pinguécula e pterígio em uma população quilombola da Amazônia Brasileira. Metodologia: Estudo transversal, descritivo e analítico realizado com 120 indivíduos de duas comunidades quilombolas (Itancoã e Guajará) da cidade de Acará no estado Pará-Brasil, que foram avaliados por um médico oftalmologista através de exame em lâmpada de fenda e classificados em 1 ou 0 de acordo com a presença e a ausência de pinguécula e pterígio, o sexo e a idade também foram coletados. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente de forma descritiva e os seguintes testes foram aplicados: binomial, qui-quadrado e exato de Fisher, tendo como nível de rejeição da hipótese nula alfa = 0,05. Resultados: O pterígio teve uma prevalência de 18,3% (IC95% = 11,4% - 25,3%) na amostra estudada. Enquanto casos de pinguécula foi observado em 7,5% (IC95% = 12,2% - 32,8 %) dos indivíduos examinados. Conclusão: A prevalência de pterígio não alcança 20% da população quilombola (p=0,2283), e afeta mais homens principalmente a partir dos 40 anos. Enquanto a prevalência de pinguécula é baixa (p=01144), porém os dados encontrados para esta última patologia demandam desenhos de estudos mais acurados para sua melhor investigação.

Association between pterygium, sun exposure, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin in a nationally representative sample of Korean adults

PurposeUltraviolet-B (UVB) light exposure is the major risk factor for developing a pterygium, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level is an objective measure of UVB light exposure. In this study, we investigated the association between pterygium, sun exposure, and serum 25(OH)D.MethodsThis population-based, cross-sectional study comprised 12,258 adults (aged ≥19 years) participating in the fifth annual Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2010 to 2012. The enrolled subjects underwent interviews, clinical examinations, and laboratory investigations. The serum 25(OH)D levels were measured, and pterygium was examined by using a slit lamp. We used three adjusted logistic regression models and selected covariates as potential confounders.ResultsThe overall prevalence of pterygium was 7.09, and 53.1% of these subjects were women. The prevalence of pterygium was higher in elderly subjects and those who lived at low latitudes. In multivariate analysis with adjustment for confounding factors, subjects with a serum 25(OH)D level > 30 ng/mL, 25–30 ng/mL, and 15–20 ng/mL had an odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 1.565 (1.035–2.366), 1.545 (1.086–2.198), 1.8 (1.358–2.386), and 1.535 (1.216–1.938), respectively, compared to those with a serum 25(OH)D level < 15 ng/mL. Subjects with a daily sun exposure > 5 h had an OR (95% CI) of 1.761 (1.395–2.223) compared to subjects with a daily sun exposure < 2 h.ConclusionThe present study provides epidemiological evidence of an association of daily sun exposure and serum 25(OH)D levels with pterygium in a representative Korean population.

Face shield (or helmet) as protection against pterygium among motorcycle taxi drivers in DKI Jakarta

Pterygium is a triangular form of fibrovascular tissue growing from the conjunctiva to the cornea in the interpalpebral region. Motorcycle taxi drivers are at risk for pterygium development due to factors including ultraviolet exposure, chronic dust irritation, and wind. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a face shield (or helmet) and other factors related to pterygium in such drivers. The study was conducted in two stages, with the first stage being cross-sectional and the second a case–control study with age group matching. The participants consisted of 131 drivers, and data collection was done using a self-administered questionnaire, an observation-based checklist, and an eye examination. The results showed that the prevalence of pterygium was 19.1%. Factors affecting the incidence of pterygium in the drivers were level of education (p = 0.029, OR = 3.310), history of antioxidant consumption (p = 0.018, OR = 5.087), knowledge regarding face shield wearing (p < 0.001, OR = 10.286), and face shield wearing behavior (p < 0.001, OR = 11.156). The results indicate that occurrence of pterygium in motorcycle taxi drivers can be reduced because of proper wearing of a face shield (or helmet).

Prevalence and risk factors of pterygium: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study was conducted to determine the global prevalence and risk factors for pterygium. Three thousand two hundred fifty-five articles were identified, of which 68 articles with a total of 415,911 participants from 24 countries were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of pterygium in the total population was 12% (95% confidence interval [CI] 11–14%). The lowest and highest prevalence rates were, respectively, 3% (95% CI 0.0–9%) in the 10- to 20-year-age group and 19.5% (95% CI 14.3–24.8%) in those over 80 years. The prevalence was 13% (95% CI 11–15%) in men and 12% (95% CI 9–13%) in women. The odds ratio for men was 1.30 (95% CI 1.14–1.45). The lowest prevalence of pterygium was reported in a clinic-based study in Saudi Arabia (0.07%) and the highest prevalence was in China (53%). The odds were 1.24 (95% CI 1.11–1.36) for sunlight exposure over 5 hours, 0.84 (95% CI 0.74–0.94) for smoking, 1.45 (95% CI 1.33–1.57) for living in rural areas, 1.17 (95% CI 1.03–1.32) for alcohol consumption, 1.46 (95% CI 1.36–1.55) for outdoor occupations, and 0.47 (95% CI 0.19–0.57) for use of sunglasses. This is the second meta-analysis arriving at an estimate of 12% for the prevalence of pterygium. According to our results, pterygium risk factors fall in 3 categories: demographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Older age, male gender, outdoors occupation, and living in rural environments are the leading demographic risk factors for the development of pterygium. Exposure to sunlight is the most common environmental risk factor, and the results of this study provide a more exact and reliable value of the effect of sunlight exposure. The use of sunglasses and cigarette smoking are protective factors, and the significant effect of alcohol consumption is related to lifestyle factors.

Occupational Exposure to Solar Radiation at Different Latitudes and Pterygium: A Systematic Review of the Last 10 Years of Scientific Literature.

Pterygium is a chronic eye disease: among its recognized risk factors there is long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The Sun is the main source of UV exposure: according to the World Health Organization, the Population Attributable Fraction of pterygium due to solar radiation (SR) is 42–74%. Outdoor work can deeply influence the eye exposure to solar UV rays, but, despite this, pterygium is currently not adequately considered as a possible occupational disease in this working category, at least in Europe. For this reason, we performed a systematic review of the scientific literature published in the last ten years (2008–2017) considering the role of outdoor work as a risk factor for pterygium, in order to give new support for the prevention of this UV related disease in workers. We identified 29 relevant papers. Our results show that pterygium prevalence highly increased with latitude and mean annual UV index, and outdoor work is one of the most relevant risk factors, as well as age and male sex, both in high risk and in moderate risk World areas considering the environmental UV levels. Accordingly, pterygium occurring in outdoor workers should be considered an occupational disease. Moreover, our findings clearly support the need of further research on more effective prevention of the occupational risk related to long-term solar radiation exposure of the eye.

Prevalence of pterygium in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis study.

Background and aimPterygium is one of the most prevalent pathologies involving the cornea, which can lead to various vision signs and even reduction in eyesight. No accurate estimate has been reported about the prevalence of pterygium in Iran. Hence, this study aimed to determine the pterygium prevalence in Iran by meta-analysis method.MethodsSearching for data of the last eleven years (from 2004 to 2015) was conducted using the keywords of pterygium, eye, and Iran in International and domestic indexing services and databases including Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, Irandoc, Medlib, IranPsych, Science Direct, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), PubMed, and Scopus. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method (the random effects model). The disharmony of the studies was investigated using the I2 index. The data were analyzed by STATA Ver.11 software.ResultsIn 5 studies conducted in Iran, with a sample size of 10,838 people between 2004 and 2015, the extent of the prevalence was estimated to be 11% (95% CI: 3 to 18%). Also, the prevalence of pterygium in women and men was 18% and 13%, respectively.ConclusionAccording to the published reports from Iran and its comparison with other points in the world, the prevalence of pterygium in Iran is high, especially among women.

Femoral neck anteversion angle: Standardization of measuring method and its clinical implication

To evaluate the prevalence of pterygium and its determinants in the underserved, rural population of Iran.In this cross-sectional study of 3851 selected individuals, 86.5% participated in the study, and the prevalence of pterygium was evaluated in 3312 participants. A number of villages were selected from the north and south of Iran using multistage cluster sampling. Pterygium was diagnosed by the ophthalmologist using slit-lamp examination.The mean age of the study participants was 37.3 ± 21.4 years (2–93 years), and 56.3% (n = 1865) of them were women. The prevalence of pterygium was 13.11% [95%confidence interval (CI):11.75–14.47]. The prevalence of pterygium was 14.99 (95%CI:12.79–17.19) in men and 12.07 (95%CI:10.3–13.84) in women. Pterygium was not seen in children below the age of 5 years. The prevalence of pterygium increased linearly with age; the lowest and highest prevalence of pterygium was observed in the age group 5–20 years (0.19%) and 61–70 years (28.57%). Evaluation of the relationship between pterygium with age, sex, educational level, and place of living using a multiple model showed that age, living in the south of Iran, and low educational level were correlated with pterygium.The prevalence of pterygium was significantly higher in Iranian villages when compared with the results of previous studies. This finding may represent the effect of a rural lifestyle and its risk factors.

Types of facets on the superior articular surface of dried human calcanei

To evaluate the prevalence of pterygium and its determinants in the underserved, rural population of Iran.In this cross-sectional study of 3851 selected individuals, 86.5% participated in the study, and the prevalence of pterygium was evaluated in 3312 participants. A number of villages were selected from the north and south of Iran using multistage cluster sampling. Pterygium was diagnosed by the ophthalmologist using slit-lamp examination.The mean age of the study participants was 37.3 ± 21.4 years (2–93 years), and 56.3% (n = 1865) of them were women. The prevalence of pterygium was 13.11% [95%confidence interval (CI):11.75–14.47]. The prevalence of pterygium was 14.99 (95%CI:12.79–17.19) in men and 12.07 (95%CI:10.3–13.84) in women. Pterygium was not seen in children below the age of 5 years. The prevalence of pterygium increased linearly with age; the lowest and highest prevalence of pterygium was observed in the age group 5–20 years (0.19%) and 61–70 years (28.57%). Evaluation of the relationship between pterygium with age, sex, educational level, and place of living using a multiple model showed that age, living in the south of Iran, and low educational level were correlated with pterygium.The prevalence of pterygium was significantly higher in Iranian villages when compared with the results of previous studies. This finding may represent the effect of a rural lifestyle and its risk factors.

Cardiac risk evaluation in young females of northwest India

To evaluate the prevalence of pterygium and its determinants in the underserved, rural population of Iran.In this cross-sectional study of 3851 selected individuals, 86.5% participated in the study, and the prevalence of pterygium was evaluated in 3312 participants. A number of villages were selected from the north and south of Iran using multistage cluster sampling. Pterygium was diagnosed by the ophthalmologist using slit-lamp examination.The mean age of the study participants was 37.3 ± 21.4 years (2–93 years), and 56.3% (n = 1865) of them were women. The prevalence of pterygium was 13.11% [95%confidence interval (CI):11.75–14.47]. The prevalence of pterygium was 14.99 (95%CI:12.79–17.19) in men and 12.07 (95%CI:10.3–13.84) in women. Pterygium was not seen in children below the age of 5 years. The prevalence of pterygium increased linearly with age; the lowest and highest prevalence of pterygium was observed in the age group 5–20 years (0.19%) and 61–70 years (28.57%). Evaluation of the relationship between pterygium with age, sex, educational level, and place of living using a multiple model showed that age, living in the south of Iran, and low educational level were correlated with pterygium.The prevalence of pterygium was significantly higher in Iranian villages when compared with the results of previous studies. This finding may represent the effect of a rural lifestyle and its risk factors.

A morphometric study of suprascapular notch and its safe zone

To evaluate the prevalence of pterygium and its determinants in the underserved, rural population of Iran.In this cross-sectional study of 3851 selected individuals, 86.5% participated in the study, and the prevalence of pterygium was evaluated in 3312 participants. A number of villages were selected from the north and south of Iran using multistage cluster sampling. Pterygium was diagnosed by the ophthalmologist using slit-lamp examination.The mean age of the study participants was 37.3 ± 21.4 years (2–93 years), and 56.3% (n = 1865) of them were women. The prevalence of pterygium was 13.11% [95%confidence interval (CI):11.75–14.47]. The prevalence of pterygium was 14.99 (95%CI:12.79–17.19) in men and 12.07 (95%CI:10.3–13.84) in women. Pterygium was not seen in children below the age of 5 years. The prevalence of pterygium increased linearly with age; the lowest and highest prevalence of pterygium was observed in the age group 5–20 years (0.19%) and 61–70 years (28.57%). Evaluation of the relationship between pterygium with age, sex, educational level, and place of living using a multiple model showed that age, living in the south of Iran, and low educational level were correlated with pterygium.The prevalence of pterygium was significantly higher in Iranian villages when compared with the results of previous studies. This finding may represent the effect of a rural lifestyle and its risk factors.

Prevalence of pterygium and outcome of pterygium surgery in hilly western Nepal

Introduction: Surgical removal is the treatment of choice for pterygium; however, prevention of recurrence is a challenge. Several techniques have been tried to reduce the fibro-vascular activity aiming to reduce rate of recurrence such as B-irradiation, conjunctival and limbal auto-grafting, anti-mitotic drugs, and amniotic membrane transplantation. This study reports the magnitude of the disease in a hilly region of western Nepal and outcome of excision and conjunctival autografting for pterygium surgery.&#x0D; Methods: A prospective study was done from 1st July 2015 to 31st December 2016 in which all patients with primary pterygium presented to Palpa Lions Lacoul Eye Hospital from 1st July 2015 to 30th June 2016 were treated and followed up for next six months. Patients were treated medically or surgically as indicated. Data on age, sex, visual acuity, extent of disease, treatment modality, complications, and outcome were collected and analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, t-test, and Anova tests. P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.&#x0D; Results: There were 18,960 patients in total attending hospital for various conditions among which 290 (1.5%) had pterygium. There were 186 (64.1%) female and 104 (35.9%) male and this difference was significant (p&lt;0.001). The mean age was 47.42 yrs (SD=14.23) with age ranging from 20 to 80 years. Right eye was affected more (43.1%) than left eye (33.1%); remaining 23.8% had bilateral disease. Grade-1 disease occurred in younger age compared to Grade-2 and Grade-3 disease. All grade-1 patients were managed medically; grade-2 and grade-3 patients were equally likely to be managed medically or surgically. There were no major intra or post-operative complications. Minor post-operative complications noted were subconjunctival hemorrhage, corneal scarring, suture gaping, and conjunctival cyst among others.&#x0D; Conclusion: Despite much advanced techniques in pterygium surgery, pterygium excision combined with conjunctival autograft is found to be a safe and effective method for treating pterygium in developing world.

Prevalence of Pterygium in Imphal, Manipur and its Associated Risk Factors

Prevalence of Pterygium in Imphal, Manipur and its Associated Risk Factors

Ocular Morbidity at High Altitude in Nepal

Introduction: Certain changes occur in high altitude which can be organic, motor or functional. This study was conducted to find out ocular morbidity at high altitude in Nepal.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at four different places at altitudes of 2710 m (Jomsom), 2900 m (Kagbeni), 3500 m (Jharkot) and 3800 m (Muktinath) of Mustangdistrict of Nepal using convenient sampling method. A total of 222 subjects (444 eyes) were included. They were examined for vascular engorgement and tortuosity, arteriovenous ratio changes, retinal hemorrhages, cataract, pterygium, color vision and intraocular pressure. The motor changes like esodeviation and exodeviation were studied.Results: Of the total 222 participants, 164 (77.5%) were more than 40 years of age and 58 (22.5%) were less than 40 years. The male to female ratio was 1:1.1. The duration of stay at high altitude was &gt;10 years in 96.6%, &gt;15 years 88.3% and &gt;20 years 83.8%. The prevalence of cataract was 19.8% and pseudophakia 17.1%. Other organic changes like venous engorgement, arterio-venous ratio changes and venous tortuosity was also found at high altitude. There was no significant change in intraocular pressure at high altitude. Esodeviation was present in 14%. The prevalence of pterygium was present in 39.6%. Similarly, the prevalence of red green color vision deficiency was 45.1%.Conclusion: Cataract, pterygium, red green color vision deficiency, esodeviation, venous engorgement and venous tortuosity were found to be prevalent at high altitude of Nepal.

A study on factors which affect Dry Eye Syndrome and Eye Health in Filipino and Korean male students

Purpose: The purpose of this study is that research eye health in Filipino and Korean male students for comparative analysis of prevalence and risk factors. Method: The s ubjects of this study were 196 male s tudents, aged 17, from Korea and the Philippines and it was investigated whether they have dry eye syndrome, subjective symptoms, conjunctivitis, and pterygium or not. The McMonnies questionnaire was used for measuring dry eye syndrome. Subjective symptoms, video display time and sun exposure time were added to the questionnaire items; while conjunctivitis and pterygium were confirmed by visual examination. Results: The average sunlight exposure time per day excluding school hours were 2 hours and 12 minutes for the Filipino students and 1 hour and 1 minute for the Korean students. Sunlight exposure time had a significant effect on the Filipino students with dry eye syndrome, subjective symptoms, conjunctivitis, and pterygium, but multimedia viewing time did not. In contrast, the sunlight exposure time and video display time didn’t effect to Korean students, excluding the scores on the McMonnies questionnaire. The Filipino students had a statistical difference in the occurring frequency of subjective symptoms, conjunctivitis, and pterygium in dry eye syndrome. Also they had the higher the scores on the McMonnies questionnaire and high prevalence of conjunctivitis and pterygium. Conclusion: It was identified that the Filipino students had their sunlight exposure time affecting their eye health, whereas the Korean students didn’t have. And it related to occurring frequency of conjunctivitis and pterygium in case of dry eye syndrome patients. Another analysis needs to be made of other risk factors besides sunlight exposure time analyzed by this study , which may affect the eye health of the Filipino students.

Prevalence and associated factors of pterygium among adults living in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of pterygium among adults living in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA cross sectional design study was carried out in 390 participants in Gondar city from April 15 to May 7, 2016. Basic ophthalmic examination was performed using portable slit lamb, 3.5x magnifying loop with torch light and a pretested and structured questionnaire was completed. The raw data has been entered into EPI INFO 3.5.1 and analyzed by SPPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics was summarized descriptive data. Logistic regression was used to summarize the predictors of pterygium. The variables with p-value less than 0.05 were considered as significant risks of pterygium.ResultThe prevalence of pterygium among study participants was 151(38.7% (95%CI; 33.8–43.8)). Among those who have pterygium, 149(98.7%) were developed pterygium on the nasal side and 15(9.9%) on temporal side of the either eye and 13(8.6%) have both. Age between 41-60(AOR = 2.20(95%CI: 1.22, 3.39)), age between 61-86(AOR = 7.97(95%CI: 2.74, 23.17)), male sex (AOR = 2.20(95%CI: 1.28, 3.82)), outdoor working area(AOR = 3.75(95%CI: 2.18, 6.46)), the use of traditional eye medication (AOR = 2.55 (95%CI: 1.04, 5.90)) and family history of pterygium (AOR = 6.68(95% CI: 2.53, 17.60)) were positively associated with pterygium whereas use of sunglass/hat (AOR = 0.40(95%CI:0.20, 0.78)) was negatively associated.ConclusionThere is a high prevalence of pterygium in Gondar city northwest Ethiopia. Old age, male sex, outdoor working area, utilization of traditional eye medication and family history of pterygium were statistically significant predictors of pterygium. The use of sunglass/hat was protective against pterygium.

Variations of pterygium prevalence by age, gender and geographic characteristics in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundPterygium is a common chronic ophthalmic condition, which may result in significant visual morbidity or lead to blindness in extreme cases. The prevalence of pterygium in China has not been reported at the sub-national level.MethodsIn this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of pterygium in China. China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database (CBM-SinoMed), PubMed, Embase and Medline were searched before September 2016. We performed a multilevel mixed-effect meta-regression based on the included studies, our results showed that age, gender and latitude were significantly associated with pterygium prevalence. Based on the final model, the age and gender-specific prevalence of pterygium in 31 Chinese provinces (except Hongkong, Macau and Taiwan) and the whole country was generated.ResultsIn 2010, the overall prevalence of pterygium in Chinese people aged 15–84 years was 9.84% (95% CI: 6.72–14.14), and the number of pterygium cases in China was 108.65 million (95% CI: 74.23–156.13).ConclusionsIn conclusion, the prevalence of pterygium in Chinese population in 2010 was estimated at both the national and provincial levels. The higher burden of pterygium across the country calls for efforts to advocate public health education encouraging people to take appropriate protective measures.

The incidence and prevalence of pterygium in South Korea: A 10-year population-based Korean cohort study.

Although numerous population-based studies have reported the prevalences and risk factors for pterygium, information regarding the incidence of pterygium is scarce. This population-based cohort study aimed to evaluate the South Korean incidence and prevalence of pterygium. We retrospectively obtained data from a nationally representative sample of 1,116,364 South Koreans in the Korea National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC). The associated sociodemographic factors were evaluated using multivariable Cox regression analysis, and the hazard ratios and confidence intervals were calculated. Pterygium was defined based on the Korean Classification of Diseases code, and surgically removed pterygium was defined as cases that required surgical removal. We identified 21,465 pterygium cases and 8,338 surgically removed pterygium cases during the study period. The overall incidences were 2.1 per 1,000 person-years for pterygium and 0.8 per 1,000 person-years for surgically removed pterygium. Among subjects who were ≥40 years old, the incidences were 4.3 per 1,000 person-years for pterygium and 1.7 per 1,000 person-years for surgically removed pterygium. The overall prevalences were 1.9% for pterygium and 0.6% for surgically removed pterygium, and the prevalences increased to 3.8% for pterygium and 1.4% for surgically removed pterygium among subjects who were ≥40 years old. The incidences of pterygium decreased according to year. The incidence and prevalence of pterygium were highest among 60–79-year-old individuals. Increasing age, female sex, and living in a relatively rural area were associated with increased risks of pterygium and surgically removed pterygium in the multivariable Cox regression analysis. Our analyses of South Korean national insurance claims data revealed a decreasing trend in the incidence of pterygium during the study period.

Prevalence of pterygium in a tertiary hospital in North-Western Nigeria

Pterygium is a wing shaped conjunctival growth that encroaches onto the cornea. It was initially believed to be a conjunctival degeneration arising from pinquecula. However, it is now believed to be an active invasive inflammatory process leading to fibrovascular proliferation. The ocular symptoms of pterygium includes: tearing, redness, foreign body sensation and blurring of vision. Treatment option includes use of steroid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and various surgical options. A retrospective study was conducted from 1st January 2014- 31st December 2014. Folders of patients seen over this period were retrieved and reviewed. The following information were extracted; socio-demographics (age, gender, occupation, tribe), complaints, visual acuity at presentation, grade of pterygium, treatment offered, history of pterygium surgery, laterality and use of antimetabolities during surgery. The data was recorded and analysed using SPPS version 18. Out of 2760 patients, 98 patients presented with pterygium with a prevalence of 3.6%. Among these, 60.2% were males and 39.8% were females with a range of 22years-73 years (mean 40.28 ± 11.78years). Majority of the patients (31.6%) were between 30years to 39years. Most of the patients were house wives (31.6%) and Hausa (79.6%) by tribe. Most of them had bi-lateral pterygium (66.5%). Majority of the pterygium (46.9%) were of grade 1 followed by 39.8% grade 2. Only 9.2% had surgical procedure and intraoperative application of 5 Fulourouracil (5FU). Three out of 9 cases operated had recurrent pterygium. The prevalence of pterygium is low in this population, majority of cases affecting young and middle age population.

Risk Factors for Pterygium in Ilam Province, Iran.

Purpose:To evaluate the risk factors for pterygium in the dry, high altitude province of Ilam, Iran.Methods:The study included patients who presented to ophthalmology clinic. The patients were divided into two groups: 210 diagnosed with pterygium or pinguecula (unilateral or bilateral), and 210 healthy controls. Demographic variables, living environment, disease type, disease laterality, family history of pterygium as well as history of smoking, working outdoors, baking, welding, ocular conditions (trachoma keratopathy, glaucoma, refractive error, and dry eye), use of glasses, ultraviolet light exposure, and systemic conditions were collected from both groups and compared for risk assessment.Results:Univariate analysis revealed that age (P = 0.001), sex (P = 0.001), family history of pterygium (P = 0.001), positive history of smoking (P < 0.001), history of baking (P = 0.045), welding experience (P < 0.001), severe blepharitis (P < 0.001), hyperopia (P < 0.001), dry eye (P < 0.001), hypertension (P < 0.001), ischemic heart disease (P < 0.001), obesity (P = 0.038), and primary residential area (P = 0.025) had significant associations with increased incidence of pterygium. However, in multivariate analysis, only family history of pterygium, cigarette smoking, history of baking, age, and severe blepharitis were significantly associated with the incidence of pterygium (P<0.001, P<0.001, P = 0.002, P = 0.023 and P = 0.002, respectively).Conclusion:This study tested more risk factors related to the prevalence of pterygium compared to previous studies. It also confirmed previously established risk factors. Family history of pterygium and blepharitis were risk factors that have not been reported in previous studies and were found to be significantly associated with the development of pterygium in this study.