Coincidence of Inflamed Conjunctival Carcinoma in situ and Primary Pterygium

BACKGROUND: We report a rare case of carcinoma in situ (CIS) in conjunction with a primary pterygium that exhibited characteristic angiographic and histopathological findings. CASE: A 78-year-old man presented with a pterygium and a whitish tumor adjacent to the pterygium in his right eye. Indocyanine green angiography displayed that feeder vessels within the primary pterygium spread to the whitish tumor. The tumor and pterygial tissues were surgically removed. Histologically, the resected tissue contained CIS as well as squamous metaplasia. There was a marked inflammatory cell infiltration within the tumor and beneath the epithelium. Topical interferon alfa-2b was given 4 times per day for 2 months. The patient has been well without local recurrence of tumor or distal metastases to 54 follow-up months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Because CIS can occur adjacent to pterygial tissues, long-term follow-up is necessary in patients with pterygia.