Etiologic theories, methods of treatment, and results.

Although it has been postulated that a pterygium develops from the ordinary pinguecula which is a phenomenon of aging, the average age of patients in a Veterans Administration hospital who were operated upon for removal of pterygia was 34.9 years. Mexicans appeared to be particularly susceptible to the disease. Analysis of the literature and review of observations in the present series of cases indicated that long-continued exposure to the elements, particularly the sun's rays, is a prime etiologic factor and that dust and other irritants are of less importance. In a study of 285 patients who had pterygia, no correlation of this disease with other local or general disease was observed. An operation which brings previously unexposed conjunctiva into the area from which a pterygium is removed, and which does not bury the epithelium, was used successfully.