Epidemiology of pterygium in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Aim. To describe the prevalence of and risk factors for pterygium in a population based sample of residents of the Australian state of Victoria who were aged 40 years and older. Methods. The strata comprised nine randomly selected clusters from the Melbourne statistical division, 14 nursing homes randomly selected from the nursing homes within a 5 kilometre radius of the nine Melbourne clusters, and four randomly selected clusters from rural Victoria. Pterygium was measured in millimetres from the tip to the middle of the base. During an interview, people were queried about previous ocular surgery, including surgical removal of pterygium, and their lifetime exposure to sunlight. Results. 514..