Background: Pterygium is a fibrovascular proliferation that invades the cornea. This proliferation can lead to blindness by altering its transparency. The wide variability in its prevalence is linked to the influence of the living environment. Objective: We sought to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of this condition in our environment. Materials and Methods: We conducted a 5-year descriptive cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with pterygium in two hospitals in the city of Douala. The variables studied were age, sex, visual acuity, astigmatism, stage, location, and laterality of the pterygium. Chi-square and Student’s t-tests were used to compare qualitative variables and means. The significance threshold was p < 0.05. Results: We examined 248 patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.78. The authors found a hospital prevalence of 0.73%, with a female predominance (M:F ratio 0.78) and a mean age of 48.16 years. Pterygium was most often bilateral, located nasally, and associated with astigmatism, typically presenting in its early stages. Conclusion: Pterygium remains a rare condition in our setting, affecting mainly women in their forties. It develops selectively in the nasal part of the palpebral fissure area and is often associated with inflammation and astigmatism.
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