Refractive astigmatism and pterygium

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive Surgery
• Corneal Diseases

Background:

• Pterygium is a wing-shaped fibrovascular growth on the conjunctiva.
• It can cause significant visual impairment, including induced astigmatism.
• Understanding the refractive changes associated with pterygium is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between pterygium and refractive astigmatism.
• To evaluate the impact of pterygium surgery on refractive astigmatism.
• To quantify the changes in refraction following pterygium excision.

Main Methods:

• Refractive error assessment in 50 patients with pterygium and matched controls.
• Surgical intervention using the bare sclera method for pterygium excision.
• Post-operative refraction measurements at 12 weeks and in contralateral eyes.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant association was found between pterygium and refractive astigmatism (P < 0.01).
• Astigmatism was prevalent in most patients with pterygium.
• Surgical removal resulted in a reduction of refractive astigmatism, with changes up to 1.50 diopters (cylinder).

Conclusions:

• Pterygium significantly influences refractive astigmatism.
• Surgical excision of pterygium effectively reduces refractive astigmatism.
• Ophthalmologists should consider refractive alterations post-pterygium surgery, especially in presbyopic patients.