Sadia Arif, Ayesha Babar Kawish, Khizar Nabeel Ali, Abdullah Naeem Syed.
Association of Pterygium with Dry Eye: a Health Professional Dilemma.
Al-Shifa J Ophthalmol Dec ;14(1):14-20.

Objective: This study was done to assess the grade of pterygium effects on dry eye, identified by clinical tests and to find association between dry eyes and pterygium Study Design: The study was cross sectional in nature and carried out in the outpatient department of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, which is a tertiary eye care hospital. Place & Duration: The study was conducted from 4 th June 2017 to 8th November 2017. Subjects and Methods: A total of 102 eyes of 60 patients who visited OPD of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital were included in this study. Each patient had a complete ophthalmological examination to rule out any other problem other than dry eye and all information was recorded in a specially designed proforma. Status of pre-corneal tear film, tear film breakup time, Schirmer test with anesthesia and Schirmer test without anesthesia were also performed. Results: The study revealed that the percentage of females having pterygium was more (grade1 65% & grade-2 53%) as compared to males (grade-1 35% & grade-2 47%). The formers (38%) who work outside in direct sun light had grade-1 pterygium with severe dry eye symptoms. There is a significant association between the grade 2 & 3 pterygium and dry eye confirmed by clinical Schirmer test with and without anesthesia and the patients with grade 2&3 pterygium facing sever dry eye. The results were also tested with the tear film breakup time test, and results were found statistically significant. Conclusion: Patients with decreased tear production are more prone to the damaging effects of U-V rays in the sunlight. There is an association between dry eyes and pterygium. Patients with pterygium are having decreased tear production, decreased tear film breakup time test and decreased Schirmer test value.

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