title: Effect of orbital protrusion and vertical interpalpebral distance on pterygium formation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the risk factors in the development of pterygium in the Marmara region of Turkey as well as the efficacy of vertical interpalpebral distance, protrusion level and tear function in the development of pterygium.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cases were grouped in two as the research group consisted of patients with pterygium and the control group consisted of healthy people. A total of 294 patients with pterygium (108 bilateral, 186 unilateral) and 200 controls were included in the study. All patients and control group underwent a thorough ophthalmic examination, including tear function analysis using tear film breakup time measurement, protrusion level and vertical interpalpebral distance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference was found between the bilateral pterygium subgroup and control group in terms of vertical interpalpebral distance and protrusion value (p=0.733, p=0.625). When the pterygium eyes and the control group were compared in the unilateral pterygium subgroup, no significant difference was found in terms of vertical interpalpebral distance and protrusion value (p=0.533, p=0.209).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While UV efficiency in pterygium was obvious, protrusion value and vertical interpalpebral distance were not found to be a risk factor in the formation of pterygium.
authors.affiliation: Erzurum Regional Training and Research Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Erzurum, Turkey; Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey. Electronic address: altinkaynak167@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altinkaynak
authors.affiliation: Beyoglu Eye Research and Education Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demircan
authors.affiliation: Kelkit State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Gümüşhane, Turkey; Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kocasaraç
authors.affiliation: Şehit Kamil State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Gaziantep, Turkey; Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Necip
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dundar
authors.affiliation: Beyoglu Eye Research and Education Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Çiğdem
authors.initials: Ç
authors.lastname: Altan
authors.affiliation: Beyoglu Eye Research and Education Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Ergani State Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirok
mesh_terms: D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005094:Exophthalmos / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011625:Pterygium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013666:Tears / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Protrusion value; Pterygium; Vertical interpalpebral distance