Pterygium is one of the common ocular surface diseases, characterized by local subconjunctival fibrovascular proliferation invading the cornea, not only influences facial beauty, but affects visual acuity and causes ocular dyskinesia. Surgical removal is the main treatment option. However, the recurrence rate is high(20%-40%). Many explanations are put forward by scientists, but the mechanism of pterygium still remains unclear. It is of great importance to study the pathogenesis of pterygium so as to prevent its occurrence and development. In this paper, we make a review about the domestic and international studies of the inhibition of apoptosis, matrix metalloproteinase, oxidative stress and immunity in pterygium.