Epithelial Ingrowth Following Pterygium Excision With Conjunctival Autograft: A Rare Complication

Pterygium is a common ocular condition characterized by a conjunctival growth over the cornea. Epithelial ingrowth (EI), a rare complication of ocular surgery, involves the proliferation of epithelial cells within the cornea or the anterior chamber. We report a case of EI in a male patient following pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft. Slit lamp examination revealed a thin, grey-white, wave-like band beneath the corneal epithelium in the inferior-temporal quadrant, outside the visual axis and not crossing the corneal center. The diagnosis of epithelial ingrowth was made clinically and confirmed with anterior optical coherence tomography (OCT). This marks only the second documented occurrence of EI after pterygium surgery.