Pterygium: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options.
A pterygium is a raised, yellowish, wing-shaped thickening on the white part of the eye, which can spread over the cornea, obstructing vision. The term Pterygium means wing-shaped. It is a degenerative wear and tear change of the surface of the eye, which results in growth of conjunctival tissue (from the white of the eye) across the cornea (the clear window through which we see). The pterygium is red, fleshy, and thickened in comparison with the normal conjunctiva.