Pingueculae are non-cancerous growths on the white part of the eye, often caused by sun exposure. They can cause eye irritation and dryness, but treatment is usually not necessary. Eye protection with sunglasses is the best prevention. They should not be confused with pytergia, which can obstruct vision and may require surgical removal.
Pingueculae are growths that occur on the lining that covers the white part of the eye. They are not cancerous growths and do not usually affect the way people see because they do not cover or grow on the cornea. Normally, they are visible as slightly raised patches that can be white or yellow, occurring near the corners of the eyes. People may have just one pinguecula, or they may have more than one and, most commonly, they occur in older people; they can also occur in younger people who have plenty of sun exposure of the eyes.
Exposure to the sun appears to be one reason why a pinguecula would develop. There is a strong link between the development of these spots and sun exposure in the southern hemisphere. Another group that appears to be at risk of getting a pinguecula are those who spend a lot of time outdoors, especially outdoor workers. With this in mind, eye protection with good sunglasses is probably the best means of prevention for most people.
The primary symptoms of a pinguecula are a white or yellow raised spot in the corner of the eye. Depending on how high this is, it can cause eye irritation. Dry eye can be especially common, and visible blood vessels (red eye) can appear near the spot.
Treatment can vary, but might include lubricating eye drops to help with any dry eye symptoms. Avoiding sun exposure of the eyes is also important. Sometimes people feel that a pinguecula is cosmetically harmful and ask eye surgeons to remove it. Removal can leave scars and the results are not always desirable, but an experienced surgeon may be able to remove a small pinguecula and leave small scars. Unfortunately, these spots have a tendency to recur and this should be taken into consideration before having surgery.
Pingueculae are often confused with pytergia (pytergium is the singular form). This is a growth on the eye that can start at the conjunctiva but can gradually cross over to the cornea. Unlike a pinguecula, a pytergium is a fast growth that can get larger over time. A pytergium is even more serious because it can obstruct vision when it grows on the cornea. This growth is usually more noticeable and may require surgical removal, not for cosmetic purposes but to preserve vision. However, like pingueculas, the development of pytergia is often attributed to a lot of sun exposure over a lifetime.
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