Cataract associations with pinguecula and pterygium: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.

PURPOSE: To determine associations between cataract types and pinguecula and pterygium.

METHODS

The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 3,654 persons aged 49 to 97 years near Sydney, Australia. A questionnaire was used to collect information on cataract risk factors. Slit-lamp examination recorded pinguecula and pterygium. Masked lens photograph grading assessed cataract.

RESULTS

Pinguecula, found in 2,418 right eyes and 2,437 left eyes, was statistically significantly associated with cortical cataract (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40) after multivariate adjustment. Pterygium, found in 199 right eyes and 188 left eyes, was associated with posterior subcapsular cataract (OR = 1.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Associations were found between cataract and the presence of either pinguecula or pterygium. These findings provide indirect support for Watermen Study findings, which link ultraviolet radiation to cataract.