Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the expression of chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR-4) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the epithelium and stroma of pterygium tissue in comparison with healthy conjunctiva. Materials and methods: The expression of CXCR4 and COX-2 was investigated by immunohistochemistry in the epithelium and stroma of the pterygium tissue of 29 eyes and compared with healthy conjunctival tissues. The correlation between CXCR4 and COX-2 expression as well as the correlation of these markers with the area of pterygium were evaluated statistically. Results: COX-2 staining scores were 1.75 ± 0.63 in the epithelium and 1.20 ± 0.62 in the stroma of the pterygium tissue. Mean CXCR-4 staining in the epithelium was 0.069 ± 0.37, whereas it was 5.0 ± 2.84 cells in the stroma. There was almost no staining of COX-2 and CXCR4 in the control samples. There was a strong positive correlation between the expression of CXCR-4 and COX-2 in the stroma of the pterygium. Conclusion: CXCR-4 and COX-2 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of pterygium.