Growths On the Surface of the Eye?

You undoubtedly have seen or perhaps have an apparent growth of tissue on the inner aspect of some eyes.  Sometimes these yellowish growths become red.  The fact is that these are benign degenerations that occur as a result of sun exposure.  Many people who work outdoors get them.  When these growths grow onto the cornea (the clear part of your eye) it is called a Pterygium (ter i gee um, the "p" is silent).  It can sometimes cause a change in vision if it grows too far onto the cornea.  It can become inflamed with wind, dust, or from dry eyes.  Most of these inflammatory episodes can be effectively treated with topical drops.  The most effective treatment of a pterygium is surgical removal.  This is done at an outpatient surgical center under a local anesthetic.  Most often, a graft is placed on the bare area left behind.  Sometimes a strong medication, mitomycin, is used at the time of surgery to prevent re-growth.

Even with the best surgical technique, however, this benign growth can recur.  Without a graft, the recurrence rate can be as high as 50%.  With grafts and/or cytotoxic agents, the re-growth rate can drop to below 10%.

A Pinguecula (pin gwe cu la) is a similar benign growth occurring in a similar place as the pterygium.  The difference is that this growth never grows onto the cornea.  It can be more elevated than a flat pterygium and more noticeable as well.  They are usually yellow in color.  One can have them removed surgically as well; however, this procedure is considered cosmetic in most cases and is therefore not covered by most insurance policies, as opposed to the removal of a symptomatic pterygium, which is covered. 

In addition to decreasing the development of cataracts, and macular degeneration, you can also avoid these benign growths by wearing your sunglasses to avoid the damaging effects of UV rays.