A hypothesis on the pathogenesis of pterygiums.
All true pterygiums are attracted to a specific site at the corneoscleral junction along the 3 to 9 o'clock meridian. The pathogenesis of a pinguecula-pterygium is postulated to be due to a noninfected inflammation at the junction of the conjunctival blood vessels and Bowman's membrane where the autolytic process of inflammation results in a protein degradation amino acid mixture which has the ability of attracting conjunctival blood vessels on the cornea. This amino acid mix is hypothesized to contain a pterygium angiogenesis factor.
D000368:Aged; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D001329:Autolysis / Q000378:metabolism; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000378:metabolism; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008566:Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D011625:Pterygium / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D016038:Skin Transplantation
D000596:Amino Acids; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D006133:Growth Substances