What is the cause of diplopia in pterigium?
Diplopia, or double vision, in a patient with a pterygium is typically caused by the physical presence of the pterygium itself.
A pterygium is a growth of pink, fleshy tissue on the conjunctiva, the clear tissue that lines your eyelids and covers your eyeball. When it grows onto the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye), it can distort the surface of the cornea, leading to irregular astigmatism. This irregularity in the cornea’s surface can cause light to be refracted differently, leading to double vision or diplopia.
In addition to diplopia, patients with pterygium may also experience symptoms such as redness, irritation, foreign body sensation, and blurry vision. Treatment options may include lubricating eye drops, steroid eye drops, surgical removal (if the pterygium is causing significant symptoms or visual disturbances), or a combination of these approaches.