Pterjium Oluşmasında Mesleğin Etkileri

Purpose: To investigate the effects of job on the development of pterygium.\udMaterial and Method: We retrospectively evaluated the files of 182 patients who were diagnosed as having pterygium between August\ud2012 and October 2012 in the Ophthalmology Clinic at Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık State Hospital. Patients’ jobs were analyzed and the effects\udof job on the formation of pterygium were investigated.\udResults: In our study, we did ophthalmic examination on 2328 patients and included 182 (7.8%) patients who had pterygium. The average age\udwas 52.2± 1.6 years (range: 16 - 87 years). 82 (45.1%) patients were agricultural workers or farmers,12 (6.6%) were officers, 48 (26.4%) were\udhousewives, 39 (21.4%) were independent workers, and one was student. The tissue of pterygium in 62 patients (34.1%) was on the right eye,\udin 57 (31.3%) – on the left eye, in 63 (34.6%) - on both eyes. 51 (28%) patients were 40 years old or younger, and 131 (72%) were older than\ud40 years. The length of pterygium tissue in 69 (37.9%) patients was under 1.5 mm, in 88 (48.4%) - between 1.5-3 mm, and in 25 (13.7%) -\udmore than 3 mm. 86 patients (47%) were male and 96 (53%) were female. In agricultural worker or farmer group, it was observed that the rate\udof pterygium increased with increasing age (p=0.015). Similarly, in the independent worker group, pterygium rate increased with increasing\udage (p=0.014). In the group of agricultural workers or farmers, the relationship between pterygium tissue length and job was meaningful, and\udin this group, the tissue of pterygium was longer (p=0.043).\udDiscussion: In this study, it was seen that pterygium is most common in agricultural workers and farmers. We concluded that\udpterygium rate increases with increasing age in agricultural workers and farmers as well as in independent workers and that in agricultural workers and farmers, the pterygium tissue was longer than in the other groups. Especially occupational groups which work\udin rural areas and in external environment more frequently develop pterygium, and we assume that wearing of sunglasses and hats with\udappropriate size may be useful to avoid the effects of the sun. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2013; 43: 245-9