Bilateral pterygium in the two siblings

Abstract

Pterygia are fibrovascular connective tissue overgrowths of bulbar conjunctiva onto the cornea. There is a worldwide distribution of pterygium, but it occurs more commonly in warm, dry climates. Patients younger than the age of 15 rarely acquire a pterygium. We report a case of bilateral nasal pterygium in two siblings. A 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl who are siblings presented with bilateral nasal pterygium. While pterygium is a common disorder, its bilaterality in young people is not a common condition. This report is the first known report in the peer-reviewed medical literature of patients with bilateral nasal pterygium in siblings younger than the age of 15.