Prevalence of pterygium and pinguecula: The Blue Mountains Eye Study

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to describe the prevalence of pterygium and pinguecula in an older population and to examine associations with skin, hair and eye colour, skin sun sensitivity, sun-related skin damage and skin cancer METHODS: The Blue Mountains Eye Study examined 3564 people aged 49 years or older Slit-lamp examination recorded pterygium and pinguecula and a questionnaire was used to collect information on physical variables. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-six subjects (7.3%) had pterygium (or had a history of pterygium surgery) and 2521 (69.5%) had pinguecula present in either eye. Significantly more men (11%) than women (4.5%) had pterygium (odds ratio (OR) 2.63; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.03-3.42). This sex difference was aso found for pinguecula, present in 73.6 and 66.3% of men and women, respectively (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.3-1.7). A s ight age-related increase in prevalence was found for both pterygium and pinguecula. CONCLUSIONS: The study found significant associations between pterygium and increased pigmentation (skin and hair colour), decreased skin sun sensitivity and sun-related skin damage. The age- and sex-specific pterygium prevalence rates in the present study are simi ar to rates found in non-Aboriginals examined in the 1980 Australian Trachoma Programme.