Brought to you by

What is pinguecula and pterygium?

How do doctors treat pinguecula or pterygium?

Conjunctival and Scleral Disorders

Allergic Conjunctivitis

Episcleritis

Infectious Conjunctivitis

Pinguecula and Pterygium

Scleritis

Subconjunctival Hemorrhage

Trachoma

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Cholestasis is reduction or stoppage of the flow of bile, the digestive fluid produced by the liver. It can be caused by disorders of the liver, bile duct, or pancreas. Which of the following is a key symptom that is almost always present in people with cholestasis?

Abdominal pain
Enlarged gallbladder
Enlarged spleen
Jaundice

Pinguecula and Pterygium

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision May 2020| Content last modified May 2020

Click here for the Professional Version

Get the full details

Topic Resources

Pinguecula

Pterygium

Pinguecula and Pterygium

The Conjunctiva

Pinguecula and pterygium (sometimes called surfer's eye) are growths on the front of your eye. They grow on your conjunctiva (the clear, thin tissue that lines the inside of your eyelids and covers the white of your eye). They may be caused by too much sun, wind, dust, or just dry eyes.

A pinguecula is a raised yellow or white patch or bump on your conjunctiva next to your cornea (the clear area over the colored part of your eye)
A pterygium is a fleshy growth on your conjunctiva that can overlap your cornea

For pinguecula:

It may look odd but doesn't usually cause symptoms or need treatment

For a pterygium:

Most of these growths don’t cause any symptoms
Sometimes, the growth can irritate your eye and cause problems with your vision if it covers a lot of your cornea
Doctors may give you artificial tears or corticosteroid eye drops or ointment
If a pterygium gets big enough to bother you or becomes inflamed again and again, doctors may do surgery to remove it