Evaluation of scleral thickness in patients with pterygium

Objectives To evaluate scleral thickness measurements of pterygium patients using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and to compare them with healthy individuals. Material and methods Scleral thickness was measured from 2, 4, 6 mm posterior to the scleral spur with AS-OCT (Swept Source OCT Triton, Topcon, Japan) in 4 quadrants (superior, inferior, nasal and temporal). Results Eyes with pterygium were determined as Group 1, and contralateral eyes without pterygium were determined as Group 2. Healthy controls were determined as Group 3. In the measurements made from 4 mm posterior, no significant difference was found between Group 1 and Group 2 in any quadrants (p > 0.05). In all measurements made from 4 mm posterior to the scleral spur, scleral thickness was found to be significantly higher in Group 1 compared to Group 3 (p < 0.05). Measurements made from 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur in Group 1 was found to be significantly higher in the superior and temporal quadrants compared to Group 3 (p = 0.05), while no significant difference was found in the nasal and inferior quadrants (p > 0.05). When Group 2 and Group 3 were compared, scleral thickness measurements made from 4 mm posterior to the scleral spur was significantly thicker in all quadrants in Group 2 (p > 0.05). Conclusion Scleral thickness was found to be higher in pterygium patients compared to healthy controls, especially when measured from 4 mm posterior to the scleral spur. It has been predicted that high scleral thickness may be associated with high fibroblast activity in subconjunctival structures, and this may predispose to pterygium.