title: Corneal topographic changes induced by pterygia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study characterizes the topographic changes induced by pterygia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data obtained from a videokeratoscope (TMS-1), we assessed the topographic changes of corneas from 24 consecutive eyes with pterygia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each pterygium induced a localized area of flattening central to its apex of 38.00 +/- 2.80 diopter (D) which was significantly flatter (p < .0001) than the mean corneal power (43.70 +/- 1.70), minimum corneal power (MinK, 42.70 +/- 2.10), and the power of the flattest corneal meridian (42.90 +/- 1.90).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our topographic findings characterize an area of localized corneal flattening central to the apex of pterygia. It is not known if this pterygium-associated corneal flattening influences the centripetal growth of pterygia or their tendency not to cross the visual axis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, St Joseph Hospital, Lancaster, PA, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pavilack
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Halpern
mesh_terms: D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D011625:Pterygium / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology