Occurrence of Occult Neoplasia in Pterygium Specimens Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Patients

To determine the role of race and ethnicity in the prevalence of occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia in pterygium specimens.

This retrospective study reviewed pathology reports and medical records of 504 patients who underwent pterygium surgery in South Texas. Those with clinical signs of ocular surface squamous neoplasia were excluded. Clinical data including age, sex, and self-reported race and ethnicity were analyzed to determine risk factors for presence of occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia in pterygium specimens.

There were 504 specimens; 95.8% were from patients identified as White, 1.8% from African Americans, and 2.4% from Asians. Ethnicity included Hispanic in 70.8% and non-Hispanic in 29.2%. Among all specimens, 18 (3.6%) were positive for occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia. The prevalence of occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia in pterygium specimens was higher in Hispanics compared to non-Hispanics (4.8% vs. 0.7%, respectively, p = .025). The prevalence of occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia in different races included 8.3% for Asians, 3.5% for Whites, and 0% for African Americans. However, the racial difference did not reach statistical significance (p = .57). There were also no statistically significant differences between those with or without occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia regarding age or sex.

A significant but low rate of occult ocular surface squamous neoplasia was found in pterygium specimens. The percentage of those with ocular surface squamous neoplasia in pterygium specimens was significantly greater in Hispanics compared to non-Hispanics. As treatment and prognosis of pterygium and ocular surface squamous neoplasia differ, histopathologic evaluation of all pterygium specimens is warranted.