Presence of human papillomavirus in pterygium in Taiwan

To evaluate the prevalence and possible role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the formation of pterygia in patients in Taiwan, a tropical country with high prevalence of pterygium.

A total of 62 patients with 65 pterygia were retrospectively examined. Ten normal conjunctiva, 8 conjunctival nevi, and 2 malignant conjunctival melanomas served as controls. HPV detection and typing were accomplished using polymerase chain reaction amplification of the viral sequences. HPV-positive specimens underwent further investigation with fluorescence in situ hybridization. Clinical histories were recorded for each patient.

Based on polymerase chain reaction analysis, 2 of 65 pterygia harbored HPV type 18, and they were also fluorescence in situ hybridization positive. No conjunctival control had HPV. There was no statistically significant correlation between pterygium and the presence of HPV. The presence of HPV was not significantly different between primary and recurrent pterygia.

The limited presence of HPV DNA in pterygium does not conclude that HPV is necessary or acting alone in the formation of pterygium, but HPV may still be implicated to play a role in some pterygia in Taiwan.