Pterygium Recurrence Rates in the Hispanic Population in the Northeastern United States

To determine the rate and factors affecting pterygium recurrence in the Hispanic population of the Northeastern United States, based on patient demographic information.

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, data were collected on ethnically Hispanic patients from 2013 to 2018 who had primary single-headed pterygia excision and conjunctival autograft, with the minimum of 4-month follow-up time. This study was conducted in an academic institution in the Northeastern United States, with all patients being from the surrounding community.

In 168 Hispanic patients with confirmed primary single-headed pterygium, most pterygia occurred nasally (161/168). The average age of presentation was 46.3 ± 12.0 years (range, 23-77 years). There were 22 recurrences (13.1%), occurring at an average of 3.0 ± 1.6 months (1-8 months). This cohort demonstrated a unimodal recurrence distribution. Age is significantly inversely correlated with the incidence of recurrence (r = -0.219, P = 0.004), but not with the size of the recurrent pterygia (r = -0.112, P = 0.621). There was no significant difference between recurrence based on gender (P = 0.265), location (P = 0.824), or laterality (right or left eye) (P = 0.213). Mean corrected visual acuity improved from 20/40 to 20/32 after pterygium excision (P < 0.001). Cox regression analysis for age groups shows the risk of recurrence for patients aged 20-29 is 11.4-time that of patients aged 50 and above (P < 0.001).

Recurrence occurred unimodally at around 3 months postoperatively. Younger patients are significantly more susceptible to recurrence. Future studies may seek to determine the incidence of pterygia and their recurrence patterns in relation to occupations and sun exposure time in a geographic area.