Precorneal Tear Film in Pterygium Eye

Kosol Kampitak MD*, Wichai Leelawongtawun MD*

Affiliation : * Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, Pathumthani, Thailand

Background : Symptoms of pterygium are similar to dry eye symptoms such as dryness and irritation. Precorneal tear film may be changed in pterygium eye.
Objective : To evaluate tear breakup time and Schirmer’s test results in patients with unilateral pterygium, and to find whether tear breakup time and Schirmer’s test results were related to the size of pterygium. Material and Method: Ninety-two patients, aged between 29 and 78 years, were enrolled in this study. The size of pterygium was measured from limbus to apex of pterygium on a horizontal axis. Tear breakup time and Schirmer’s test results were compared in pterygium eye and contralateral normal eye of the same patient. The paired t-test was used for calculating the difference. The Pearson correlation was used to assess the correlations of tear breakup time and Schirmer’s test with pterygium size.
Results : The mean horizontal size of pterygium  standard deviation was 2.10.7 millimeters. The mean  standard deviation of tear breakup time in pterygium eyes was 5.51.9 seconds compared with 11.32.7 seconds in contralateral normal eyes (t = 23.28, p<0.001). The mean  standard deviations of Schirmer’s test results in pterygium eyes and the opposite normal eyes were 9.83.9 and 10.03.9 millimeters, respectively (t = 1.43, p = 0.16). Both tear breakup time and Schirmer’s test results had no correlation with pterygium size. The correlation coefficients between the size of pterygium and tear breakup time, and pterygium size and Schirmer’s test results were 0.11 (p = 0.30) and 0.03 (p = 0.77), respectively.
Conclusion : The size of pterygium does not correlate with tear breakup time and Schirmer’s test results. A decrease in tear breakup time, but normal Schirmer’s test results, could be found in pterygium eyes.

Keywords : Pterygium, Tear, Tear breakup time, Schirmer’s test, Size of pterygium

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