pterygium
Pterygium is an abnormal growth of tissue Belonging to the conjunctiva (the membrane surrounding the eyeball and the inner wall of the eyelids) on the cornea. The disease does not have a spontaneous remission and the fabric Tends to continue the growth going to disturb the cornea and limiting, thus, the capacity of vision.
What is pterygium?
Pterygium Appears as an opaque area of a triangular shape. This area is composed of fibrovascular tissue of the conjunctiva Which continues its development on the gradually cornea. The disease Often Tends to give relapses.
What causes pterygium?
Excessive sun exposure and chronic dry eye can pterygium causes.
What are the symptoms of pterygium?
In the initial phase, the abnormal growth of the conjunctiva is asymptomatic, but in the blackberries stages advanced can cause an unpleasant sensation of having a foreign body in the eye, redness and tearing. When the tissue of the conjunctiva comes to occupy the area of the cornea can cause irregular astigmatism secondary.
Diagnosis
The pterygium diagnosis is made by:
corneal topography. This examination is indispensable for the study of the shape and curvature of the anterior surface of the cornea and is useful to estimate the evolution of pterygium in time by checking the possible presence of a secondary irregular astigmatism.
OCT anterior segment.
Endothelial count. It consists of an estimate of the corneal endothelial surface, the deepest layer of the cornea.
treatments
There are two types of treatment That can be Both of medical type, either type of surgery.
Medical therapy leads to the elimination of pterygium. However, it Reduces the symptoms through the use of artificial lubricants or medicines containing steroids to be applied in topical use only in the initial stages.
Surgical therapy implements interventions removal and reconstruction of the diseased tissue with a healthy conjunctival flap.
Prevention
Proper eye protection from sunlight is the best method to prevent pterygium.
