Q: I am a 57-year-old man. An MRI scan in November last year showed a 2cm benign tumour in the frontal part of my brain. The neurosurgeon suggested its removal but I decided against it as the tumour did not affect me.

A follow-up MRI scan in May this year found that the tumour has not grown. I declined the radiotherapy treatment suggested. My next MRI scan is scheduled to be conducted in a year's time.

I have read that brain tumours can press on sensitive areas of the brain. When the pressure is on optic nerves, it will affect the condition of the eyes.

I have been suffering from pterygium and red eyes for 20 years. I had surgery twice to remove the pterygium but it has regrown in both eyes.

I was prescribed Naphcon-A, an eye lotion, to reduce the redness of the eyes. This only provides temporary relief.

Is my eye condition due to the intracranial pressure? What is the cause of the redness in my eyes? Are there other treatment options?

A: A pterygium is a benign growth of the conjunctiva, the surface layer of the eye. It is not caused by raised intracranial pressure.

However, such pressure can swell the optic nerves (also known as papilloedema). Also, if a brain tumour presses on the optic nerves, vision can be affected. There can be a few reasons for redness in the eyes, but most often, this is related to dryness of the eyes.

For the redness, lubricant eye drops, especially those that are preservative-free, can help. You may want to consider surgery for the pterygium if the initial operations were done 20 years ago as new techniques have been developed since. If the growth in the brain is near the optic nerves, a thorough examination of visual function is recommended. - Dr Clement Tan

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.