Advances in Ophthalmology & Visual System Pterygium among Staff of College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Introduction Pterygium refers to a fibrovascular sub epithelial in-growth of degenerative conjunctival tissue. It is usually triangular in shape and encroaches on the cornea from either sides of the palpebral fissure [1,2]. Usually asymptomatic, pterygium can present with symptoms like itching, ocular irritation, dry eyes and pain [3- 6]. When left untreated, pterygium could result in significant visual morbidities such as induction of corneal astigmatism and decreased vision secondary to the development of pupillary axis block by the increased in growth [7-14]. Several risk factors have been identified for development of pterygium. These include ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, exposure to irritants such as dust, smoke and wind, dry ocular surface and inflammation [15- 25]. Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is believed to be the single most important risk factor for development of pterygium [26]. Individuals with increased UV light exposure such as outdoor workers (farmers, welders, surfers, fishers, gardeners etc) have an increased risk of pterygium development compared to indoor workers [15]. According to the Barbados eye study, individuals who work outdoor are almost twice as likely to have pterygium as those who work indoor [27,28]. The Meiktila eye study reported outdoor occupation to be an independent predictor of pterygium (p<0.01) [29]. There is very little evidence-based data on the prevalence of pterygium among persons who engage in indoor activities. Most population based studies have been conducted in the tropics or settings where majority of the people engage in outdoor activities such as farming, leaving the prevalence among indoor workers largely unknown. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of pterygium among the staff of College of Science, KNUST and an association between computer use and pterygium development. This will provide data on the prevalence of pterygium among indoor workers and the association of pterygium development with computer use. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in the College of Science, KNUST. College of Science, KNUST consist of two faculties and eight departments with an academic staff of approximately 150 and a considerable number of non-academic staff. A descriptive cross- sectional study involving 150 participants. Participants were selected on a volunteer basis, after letters were sent to the Provost of the college and the various department heads introducing the study and asking for volunteers. The consent of the participants was obtained after the details of the study were explained to them. A closed ended questionnaire was used to interview the participants. Visual acuity test, external eye examinations Volume 7 Issue 5 - 2017 Department of Optometry and Visual Science, College of Science, Ghana *Corresponding author: Kumah DB, Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana, Email: Received: October 18, 2017 | Published: November 14, 2017 Research Article Adv Ophthalmol Vis Syst 2017, 7(5): 00239 Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of pterygium among the staff of College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and an association between computer use and pterygium development. A descriptive cross-sectional study in which 150 staff of the College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, aged 25 to 60 years who volunteered were examined for pterygium. A close- ended questionnaire was used to interview the participants. Majority (68.00%) of the participants were males. The ages of the participants ranged from 25 years to 60 years, with a mean age of 38.85 years. Majority (79.33%) of the participants were generally indoor workers while 31(20.67%) were outdoor workers. One hundred and sixteen (77.33%) of the participants were computer users (either at work, home or both) and 34 (22.67%) of the participants were not. The general prevalence of pterygium was 41.33%. The proportion of pterygium was highest among males (43.14%), highest in the age group 41 – 50 years (51.22%) and was higher among outdoor workers (51.61%) than indoor workers (40.33%). The proportion of pterygium among computer using participants was 40.52%. A significant association (95 CI, p = 0.02) was observed between the number of hours of computer use per day and pterygium development, with the highest number of cases recorded among those who spent more than 2 hours on the computer daily. Pterygium is more prevalent among outdoor workers than indoor workers. For indoor workers, individuals who spend time on the computer may be predisposed to the development of pterygium, with persons who spend an average of more than two hours per day on the computer both at home and at work , most susceptible. Keywords: Pterygium; Computer; Outdoor; Indoor; Prevalence