title: Relationship between pinguecula formation and exposure to tandoor ovens in a hospital-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between pinguecula and the use of tandoor ovens.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 539 women, ranging in age from 20 to 86y who attended an outpatient clinic were enrolled. All the patients were asked whether they used tandoor ovens. Women exposed to tandoor ovens (n=286) were accepted as participants in the study group and they were compared with participants in the control group (n=253). The age, presence of pinguecula, duration of exposure to tandoor ovens as years and occupations were recorded for all the subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean duration for exposure to tandoor was 20.26y (range 1-62y) in the study group. The rate of pinguecula in the study group was 82.2% (235/286), and the rate in the control group was 37.5% (95/253); this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Pinguecula was seen in 61.2% (330/539) of all the participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pinguecula is strongly associated with exposure to tandoor ovens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun 55100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fatih University, Istanbul 34100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goker
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ortadogu Hospital, Agri 04100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Senol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabanci
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kirsehir University, Kirsehir 40100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Rize University, Rize 53100, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Turkyilmaz
keywords: heat effect; pinguecula; tandoor ovens