Abstract :
Introduction: To study the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus as an incidental finding in patients with
pterygium.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care eye hospital among
patients with pterygium, who had been posted for pterygium excision surgery. The study was conducted
over a period of three months. 25 patients were enrolled under the study. All cases of operable pterygium
were taken up for surgery and studied. Only patients with primary pterygium were included in the
study. The random blood sugar levels were monitored, and if found deranged, patients were further
investigated for fasting blood sugar levels, post-prandial blood sugar levels and glcosylated hemoglobin
levels. Previously diagnosed diabetics and patients with other systemic comorbidities were excluded from
the study.
Results: Out of the 25 patients enrolled under the study, the mean age was 43 years. 15 patients (60%) were
males, and rest were females. Of these, 10 patients (40%) had deranged random blood sugar levels (>130
mg/dl), which were further investigated by fasting blood sugar levels, post-prandial blood sugar levels and
glycosylated hemoglobin levels. After these investigations, 6 patients (24%) were newly detected type 2
diabetes mellitus patients, and they were referred to physician for further management of the condition.
Conclusion: The etiology of pterygium is multifactorial, though, none can explain the development or the
recurrence of pterygium. Though the relationship between pterygium and diabetes is not significant, the
role of oxidative stress in these patients needs further investigations.
Keyword :
pterygium, diabetes, correlation