Endogenous endophthalmitis

Widespread Adoption of Microincision Vitrectomy Surgery Improves Visual Outcomes in Endogenous Endophthalmitis with Poor Initial Vision: A 21-Year Experience in Taiwan

PURPOSE

To review the presentation and visual prognostic factors of patients with endogenous endophthalmitis before and after the introduction of microincision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS), at a tertiary referral hospital in Taiwan, over a 21-year period.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis before and after the introduction of MIVS between January 2002 and December 2022.

RESULTS

Data were collected from 147 patients. Diabetes mellitus was the most common comorbidity (59.9%). Liver abscess (32.7%) was the leading source of infection, followed by urinary tract infection (15.0%), and infective endocarditis (5.4%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (50.4%) was the most common pathogen, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (13.5%), and Candida albicans (8.3%). Poor initial visual acuity worse than counting fingers (CF) (p < 0.001) and diabetes mellitus (p = 0.008) were significantly associated with poor visual outcomes. In the treatment of 98 patients with poor initial visual acuity worse than CF, the proportion of vitrectomy surgeries performed increased from 13/56 (23.2%) to 24/42 (57.1%) (p = 0.001) after the introduction of MIVS. Final visual acuity of CF or better increased from 7/56 (12.5%) to 12/42 (28.6%) after the introduction of MIVS (p = 0.046). Vitrectomy was a better prognostic factor for final visual outcome in patients with poor initial visual acuity of worse than CF (p = 0.011) than other factors.

CONCLUSION

In endogenous endophthalmitis patients presenting with poor initial visual acuity, vitrectomy was a better visual prognostic factor. MIVS has allowed more patients to undergo vitrectomy and improved visual outcomes.

[Bacterial endogenous endophthalmitis : Spectrum of pathogens and drug therapy]

Endogenous endophthalmitis represents an ophthalmological emergency requiring immediate diagnostics and treatment. Pathogens should be detected using appropriate methods, such as the Freiburg endophthalmitis set. In bacterial endophthalmitis both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria can be detected. Frequent underlying sources include endocarditis, gastrointestinal or urogenital surgery, indwelling venous catheters, liver abscesses, skin or soft tissue infections, meningitis or less commonly, intravenous drug abuse. The treatment consists of systemic and intraocular administration of antibiotics and vitrectomy. Systemic or intraocular corticosteroids can additionally be considered.

Fulminant endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Brucella melitensis, a case report

Key Clinical Message

Ocular brucellosis is a potential cause of endogenous endophthalmitis in endemic areas, which can be associated with sight-threatening complications.

Abstract

To report a patient with unusual fulminant endogenous endophthalmitis due to Brucella melitensis. A 25-year-old woman with a history of fever and right shoulder pain from 4 months ago and a positive Wright test presented with acute panuveitis in her right eye. All laboratory tests were unremarkable except for the positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test of the vitreous sample for B. melitensis. Despite the therapeutic efforts, including multiple vitreoretinal surgeries, and intravitreal and systemic antibiotics, the patient's final follow-up examination after 6 months revealed hand motion vision, hypotonia, and pre-phthisis bulbi status. The fellow eye was entirely normal. Brucella endogenous endophthalmitis can be fulminant and result in poor visual outcomes. It is suggested to consider ocular brucellosis as a potential cause of endogenous endophthalmitis in endemic areas.

Surgical outcomes of orbital evisceration with primary orbital implant placement in patients with endophthalmitis

OBJECTIVES

This study reports the surgical outcomes of evisceration with primary orbital implant placement in patients with endophthalmitis and analyses the association with implant exposure and extrusion.

METHODS

A retrospective, multicentre, Chinese cohort study. Review of medical records and orbital images of patients who underwent evisceration with primary orbital implant placement between January 2005 and January 2021.

RESULTS

Out of 79 patients who underwent orbital evisceration with primary orbital implant placement, 26 (26 eyes) of them (male = 13) suffered from endophthalmitis. The duration from endophthalmitis diagnosis (19 = exogenous, 7 = endogenous) to evisceration was 9 standard deviation ± 5 (range: 1-15) days. The follow-up was 70 ± 46 (24-180) months after operation. The orbital implant size was 17 ± 3 (14-20) mm, and silicone was the most used material (69%, 18/26 of patients). The most frequent post-operative complication was orbital implant exposure (42%, 11/26), followed by orbital implant extrusion (12% 3/26) and ptosis (8%, 2/26). Implant exposure or extrusion was more commonly associated with endophthalmitis in comparison to non-endophthalmitis patients that required evisceration and primary orbital implant placement (54% versus 17%, P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed single scleral closure technique (100% versus 58%, P < 0.05) and endogenous endophthalmitis (50% versus 0%, P < 0.05) were associated with implant exposure or extrusion, and only endogenous endophthalmitis was significant with multivariate analysis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Primary implant placement during evisceration should be avoided in eyes with endophthalmitis especially in those with an endogenous source, and double scleral closure technique may be a better alternative for primary orbital implant placement in infected eyes.

National emergency department trends for endogenous endophthalmitis: an increasing public health challenge

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

To characterize incidence rates and identify risk factors for admission and mortality in patients with endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) in the United States (US).

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Patients with EE were identified using the Nationwide Emergency Department (NEDS) Database from 2006 to 2017 in this cross-sectional study. Subjects were required to have diagnoses of both endophthalmitis and septicaemia using contemporary International Classification of Diseases diagnosis codes. Incidence rates, mortality rates and demographics were evaluated. Risk factors for admission and mortality were identified using weighted logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 6400 patients with EE were identified. Incidence increased from 0.10 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07-0.12) per 100,000 in the US population in 2006 to 0.25 (95% CI: 0.21-0.30) in 2017 (p < 0.05). Most were female (55.4%), insured with Medicare (53.5%), were in the first income quartile earnings (29.3%) [bottom 25% income bracket], lived in the South (40.5%), and presented to metropolitan teaching hospitals (66.6%). Mortality increased from 8.6% (95% CI: 3.8-18.3%) in 2006 to 13.8% (95% CI: 9.7-19.2%) in 2017 (p = 0.94). Factors predicting admission included older age (odds ratio [OR] 32.59; [95% CI 2.95-359.78]) and intravenous drug use (OR 14.90 [95% CI: 1.67-133.16]). Factors associated with increased mortality included: human immunodeficiency virus infection/immune deficiencies (OR 2.58 [95% CI: 1.26-5.28]), heart failure (OR 2.12 [95% CI: 1.47-3.05]), and hepatic infections/cirrhosis (OR 1.89 [95% CI: 1.28-2.79]). Pneumonia and renal/urinary tract infections (UTI) were associated with both increased hospital admission [(pneumonia OR 9.64 (95% CI: 1.25-74.35, p = 0.030), renal/UTI OR 4.09 (95% CI: 1.77-9.48)] and mortality [(pneumonia OR 1.64 (95% CI: 1.17-2.29, p = 0.030), renal/UTI OR 1.87 (95% CI: 1.18-2.97)]. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) had decreased odds ratio for mortality (OR 0.49 [95% CI: 0.33-0.73]).

CONCLUSION

EE has increased in incidence throughout US. The two systemic factors that conferred both an increase in mortality and admission were pneumonia, and renal/UTI. Additional exploration of the potential protective association of DM with decreased mortality in this context is needed.

Recent Advances and Ongoing Challenges in the Diagnosis of Culture Negative Endophthalmitis

BACKGROUND

Culture negative (CN) but presumed infectious endophthalmitis poses a huge diagnostic challenge in terms of clinical management. This article outlines the current state of knowledge of infectious endophthalmitis with negative cultures and summarizes the recommendations for the work up of this condition along with providing a simple algorithm, by putting into context the recent concerns about over-diagnosing endophthalmitis.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed and Scopus databases for large hospital based studies on diagnosis of endophthalmitis, with emphasis on culture-negative infections in October 2021. Only clinical studies written in English were included. Basic science studies, letters to the editor and case reports on endophthalmitis were excluded.

RESULTS

Twenty studies were included in this study. The prevalence of CN endophthalmitis ranged from 40% to 70%. Recent advances in PCR along with high throughput sequencing have helped identify the etiological agent in most cases but these technologies are not easily available, requires advanced bioinformatic analysis and are not cost effective. Role of other inflammatory and relatively low-cost biomarkers in diagnosing a presumed infection is yet to be validated clinically but hold promise in helping ophthalmologists identify the causative agent.

CONCLUSIONS

CN endophthalmitis is a relatively frequent finding and should not be labelled as sterile endophthalmitis. Recent advances provide a new perspective for ophthalmologist in diagnosis of presumed infectious endophthalmitis and further studies are needed to confirm their utility in clinical settings.

Reply to: differential diagnosis of pseudohypopyon and discussion of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma presenting as hypopyon panuveitis

Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma rarely presents as intraocular masquerade syndrome. We thank Dr. Evereklioglu for bringing up the importance of a thorough ocular examination, differential diagnosis, and consideration of the characteristics of ocular masquerade syndrome.

The microbiological spectrum, antimicrobial resistance pattern, and visual outcomes of endogenous endophthalmitis in West Virginia 2009-2019

PURPOSE

To report the microbiological spectrum, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and visual outcomes in patients with endogenous endophthalmitis (EE).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 50 patients with culture-positive EE managed in a tertiary referral center between October 2009 and 2019. Clinical, microbiology analysis, and antimicrobial resistance were reviewed. A multivariable linear regression analysis was used for identifying risk factors associated with worse visual outcomes.

RESULTS

Fifty organisms were identified, 62% bacterial and 38% fungal. The most common bacterial organism was Staphylococcus aureus (75% methicillin resistant), and Candida was the most common fungal species. Multidrug resistance was observed in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates against clindamycin, daptomycin, and fluoroquinolones. The distributions of the final visual acuity (VA) between the bacterial and fungal groups were significantly different, and the visual outcomes in the bacterial group tended to be worse (p = 0.01). The distributions of enucleation status were significantly higher in bacterial EE (35%) than fungal EE (5.3%) (p = 0.02). Results from the multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that older age was significantly associated with worse visual outcome (coef = 0.03; p = 0.02), while fungal infections were associated with better outcomes (coef = - 0.87; p = 0.01). Intravenous drug use (coef = 0.87; p = 0.054) was a marginally significant factor associated with worse visual outcomes.

CONCLUSION

There was a higher prevalence of bacterial organisms than fungal species among EE. Bacterial EE was associated with worse visual outcomes and higher enucleation rates than fungal EE. Multidrug resistance was prevalent among MRSA isolates. Older age and intravenous drug use may be factors associated with poor prognosis.

Fungi of the human eye: Culture to mycobiome

The focus of the current review is multi-fold and compares the diversity and abundance of fungi on the ocular surface by the conventional culture-based method with the more sensitive, high throughput, culture-independent NGS method. The aim is to highlight the existence of a core ocular mycobiome and explore the transition of the ocular fungal microbiota from the normal eye to the diseased eye. PubMed, Google Scholar and Medline were used to search for publications and reviews related to cultivable fungi and the mycobiome of the normal and diseased eye. The conventional cultivable approach and the NGS approach confirm that the eye has its own mycobiome and several confounding factors (age, gender, ethnicity etc.) influence the mycobiome. Further, dysbiosis in the mycobiome appears to be associated with ocular diseases and thus impacts the health of the human eye. Considering that the mycobiome of the eye is influenced by several confounding factors and also varies with respect to the disease status of the eye there is a need to extensively explore the mycobiome under different physiological conditions, different ethnicities, geographical regions etc. Such studies would unravel the diversity and abundance of the mycobiomes and contribute to our understanding of ocular health. Research focused on ocular mycobiomes may eventually help to build a targeted and individualized treatment.

Fungal Endophthalmitis: A Comprehensive Review

Endophthalmitis is a serious ophthalmologic condition involving purulent inflammation of the intraocular spaces. The underlying etiology of infectious endophthalmitis is typically bacterial or fungal. The mechanism of entry into the eye is either exogenous, involving seeding of an infectious source from outside the eye (e.g., trauma or surgical complications), or endogenous, involving transit of an infectious source to the eye via the bloodstream. The most common organism for fungal endophthalmitis is Candida albicans. The most common clinical manifestation of fungal endophthalmitis is vision loss, but other signs of inflammation and infection are frequently present. Fungal endophthalmitis is a clinical diagnosis, which can be supported by vitreous, aqueous, or blood cultures. Treatment involves systemic and intravitreal antifungal medications as well as possible pars plana vitrectomy. In this review, we examine these essential elements of understanding fungal endophthalmitis as a clinically relevant entity, which threatens patients’ vision.

Bordetella Holmesii: An Unusual Cause of Endogenous Endophthalmitis in a Patient With Sickle Cell Disease

PURPOSE

This case report describes a rare organism causing endogenous endophthalmitis in a patient with sickle cell disease.

METHODS

A case report was conducted.

RESULTS

A 41-year-old man with sickle cell disease presented with acute onset of blurry vision of the right eye. His visual acuity was counting fingers in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. He had ophthalmic findings of hypopyon and vitritis in the right eye, consistent with endophthalmitis. He was treated with intravitreal and systemic antibiotics. Vitreous cultures grew Bordetella holmesii. His visual acuity at follow-up visits improved to 20/40 in the setting of improved vitritis.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first case describing B holmesii, a rare causative organism of endogenous endophthalmitis, in a patient with sickle cell disease. More studies are needed to improve the early detection and treatment of this unusual organism.

Infective endocarditis secondary to coagulase-negative staphylococcus revealed by endogenous endophthalmitis: Case report

INTRODUCTION

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare disease which remains a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. Infective endocarditis is the first etiology, and coagulase-negative staphylococcus is most often incriminated in endocarditis on prosthesis and rarely on native valve.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a 70 year old female patient, who has a chronic renal failure on haemodialysis, admitted to the ophthalmology department in endogenous endophthalmitis. Blood cultures, intravitreal sampling and culture of the haemodialysis catheter were positive for a multi-sensitive coagulase-negative staphylococcus. On transthoracic and transoesophageal ultrasound, vegetation was found in the right atrium along the path of the haemodialysis catheter and in the aortic and mitral valves. The patient received intravenous antibiotic and intravitreal injections of antibiotics. The evolution was marked by a systemic improvement but the ocular prognosis was poor and the evisceration decision was taken.

DISCUSSION

Endogenous endophthalmitis is related to a metastatic infectious process secondary to haematogenous microbial dissemination. The germs involved are Gram-positive bacteria and occurs very frequently in predisposed conditions. A primary infectious site is found in 90% of cases and this is most frequently endocarditis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci are responsible for 20-45% of endocarditis in prosthetic valves and the prevalence in native valve endocarditis is considered low.

CONCLUSION

Endogenous endophthalmitis remains an emergency. The search for a source of infection, primarily endocarditis, is systematic. The improvement of the prognosis depends essentially on the eviction and early treatment of infectious foci in people at risk.

A 10-year-old immunocompetent girl with endogenous fungal endophthalmitis: Report of a case and review of the literature

Endogenous Endophthalmitis (EE) is a rare cause of blindness in the pediatric age group and this may account for the paucity of management guidelines in the literature. In this report, we describe our experience with a 10-year-old immunocompetent female who developed EE and became blind because of rapidly progressive and destructive inflammatory changes in her eye in spite of seemingly timely treatment.

Case Study of Endogenous Streptococcal Endophthalmitis in the Critical Care Setting

We report a rare case of orbital cellulitis and endogenous endophthalmitis, sepsis, meningitis with a brain abscess and a septic knee secondary to Streptococcus pneumonia.

The problems of diagnosis, utility of CT and MRI scanning in the intensive care setting is discussed. The patient was admitted in an obtundated state to the ICU, was noted to have sepsis with blood culture positivity for S pneumoniae. She was noted to have meningitis, a septic knee, a brain abscess and conjunctival injection. CT and MRI scanning did not reveal any ocular or orbital abnormalities. Patient began with a sore throat and knee pain. Despite antibiotic treatment, she became septic with blood culture positivity for S. pneumoniae. She was noted to have knee cellulitis and a brain abscess. 

Clinical presentations, microbiology and management outcomes of culture-proven endogenous endophthalmitis in India

Purpose:

To report the clinical presentation, microbiology, and management outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis in Indian patients.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review of culture-positive (vitreous/urine/blood) endogenous endophthalmitis cases treated in tertiary eye care facility in India was done.

Results:

The study included 173 eyes of 117 patients. Mean patient age was 25.41 ± 20.46 years (median 24 years). Pre-disposing systemic illness could not be elicited in 79 (67.63%) patients. Commonest predisposing systemic condition in patients where it could be detected (n = 79) was pyrexia of unknown origin (25/79 = 32.0%). Following treatment, 45 out of 173 (26.0%) eyes regained vision of ≥20/400. Commonest isolated organism from vitreous was Streptococcus pneumoniae (36 eyes, 20.8%) and fungi were isolated in 24 (13.8%) eyes, the commonest being Candida spp. (8/24, 33.33%). Favorable functional outcome was seen in 26% eyes and favorable anatomic outcome in 43% eyes. Those with an underlying systemic illness were older (P = 0.02), had greater urine culture positivity (P = 0.003), lesser vitreous culture positivity (0.001), greater gram negative etiology (P = 0.0006), and greater fungal etiology (P = 0.01) as compared to those cases without underlying systemic illness.

Conclusion:

Endogenous endophthalmitis in India often presents in young immunocompetent individuals without any underlying systemic illness and with negative blood or urine microbiologic work up. Underlying systemic illness leads to greater gram-negative and fungal etiology. Overall visual outcome is poor inspite of prompt management.

Incidence of Drug Use-Related Endogenous Endophthalmitis Hospitalizations in the United States, 2003 to 2016

Importance

Complications arising from the nationwide opioid epidemic led to an increase in health care use. Few studies have investigated whether this is reflected in hospital admissions for endogenous endophthalmitis.

Objective

To report changing trends in epidemiology, risk factors, hospital course, and costs associated with drug use-related endogenous endophthalmitis hospitalizations in the United States from 2003 to 2016.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Nationwide, retrospective cross-sectional study using the National Inpatient Sample. A total of 56 839 patients admitted with a diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis were included. Data were analyzed between 2003 and 2016.

Exposures

Inpatient admission for endogenous endophthalmitis during the years 2003 to 2016.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried to identify all inpatient admissions with a diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis in the United States between the years 2003 and 2016. Analyses were performed to identify national and regional trends in incidence and prevalence of associated infectious and noninfectious comorbidities in patients with or without a history of drug dependence or use. Median and cumulative inflation-adjusted costs for admissions were calculated.

Results

Of all patients, 55.6% were White, 13.6% were Black, and 10.6% were Hispanic. There were an estimated 56 839 endogenous endophthalmitis-related hospitalizations; 13.7% of these patients (n = 7783) had a history of drug dependence or use. The drug-using population was significantly younger (49.6 vs 57.5 years; difference, 7.9; 95% CI, 6.93-8.88; P < .001) and more likely to be male (61.8% [n = 35 127] vs 49.0% [n = 21 712]; difference, 12.8%; 95% CI, 11.6%-14.0%; P < .001). The incidence of endogenous endophthalmitis associated with drug dependence or use increased from 0.08 per 100 000 in 2003 to 0.32 per 100 000 population in 2016 across all 4 US geographic regions.

Conclusions and Relevance

A 4-fold increase in drug use-related endogenous endophthalmitis hospitalizations was observed in the United States from 2003 to 2016, resulting in substantial health care use burden. These findings support the hypothesis that clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for endophthalmitis when evaluating patients with intraocular inflammation in the setting of drug dependence or use.

Renal abscesses and endogenous endophthalmitis due to hypermucoviscous hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (HVKP)

We describe a diabetic patient with left eye endogenous endophthalmitis due to hypervirulent hypermucoviscous Klebsiella pneumoniae (HKVP) originating from right renal abscesses. A rare source of HVKP causing endogenous endophthalmitis. Despite treatment with intravenous ceftazidime and pars plana vitrectomy, the patient required evisceration of the left eye. A high index of suspicion for endogenous endophthalmitis and awareness of the virulence and potential antibiotic resistance of HVKP strains in the community is needed to avoid vision and life-threatening consequences.

Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A 21-Year Review of Cases at a Tertiary Eye Care Centre

Purpose: Endogenous endophthalmitis is rare and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The primary objective was to identify causative organisms. Secondary objectives included the determination of systemic risk factors and visual prognostic factors.Design: Retrospective reviewMethods: 78 eyes from 62 subjects over a 21-year period from 1999 to 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. Parameters assessed included pathologic microbial organism, clinical presentation, treatment, complications, prognostic factors, and visual outcomes.Methods: Information was collected on microbiology, treatment, visual outcomes, and complications.Results: Median age was 61.6 years and 32 subjects (51.6%) were male. Diabetes was the most common risk factor seen in 24 (38.7%) subjects. 17 subjects (27.4%) presented directly to ophthalmology and 17.4% had an initial misdiagnosis. 49 subjects (79.0%) presented with reduced vision and only 27 (43.5%) presented with pain. Hypopyon was present in 13 eyes (16.7%). Gram-positive bacteria were the most common causative organism seen in 40 (51.3%) eyes, followed by yeast and fungi in 21 (26.9%) eyes, then gram-negative bacteria seen in 17 (21.8%) eyes. Median final BCVA was 6/18. Severe vision loss occurred in 33 (42.3%) eyes and 7 (9.0%) eyes required evisceration or enucleation. Presenting visual acuity was a significant predictor of visual outcome.Conclusion: Endogenous endophthalmitis occurred at 1.9 cases per million per year. Ophthalmologists require a high index of suspicion for underlying systemic infection in any subject presenting with ocular inflammation, and need to be aware that endogenous endophthalmitis may present without pain and frequently without hypopyon.

BILATERAL ENDOGENOUS ENDOPHTHALMITIS FROM STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE

PURPOSE

To report a case of bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis from Streptococcus pneumoniae with devastating sequelae.

METHODS

Interventional case report.

RESULTS

A 56-year-old man presented with acute bilateral blurred vision and floaters with fever and hemodynamic instability. Previously, he was diagnosed with acute otitis externa and reported manually extracting several of his own teeth. He underwent a vitreous tap and intravitreal antibiotic injections. Blood and vitreous cultures were positive for S. pneumoniae. The patient later developed life-threatening medical sequelae. His final visual acuity was no light perception in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye.

CONCLUSION

Diagnosing endogenous endophthalmitis early is essential to initiating a systemic evaluation for potentially life-threatening medical conditions, including sepsis, endocarditis, and osteomyelitis. A high degree of suspicion, expeditious treatment, and interdisciplinary collaboration are essential to maximizing patient outcomes.

Microbes of the human eye: Microbiome, antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation

BACKGROUND

The review focuses on the bacteria associated with the human eye using the dual approach of detecting cultivable bacteria and the total microbiome using next generation sequencing. The purpose of this review was to highlight the connection between antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation in ocular bacteria.

METHODS

Pubmed was used as the source to catalogue culturable bacteria and ocular microbiomes associated with the normal eyes and those with ocular diseases, to ascertain the emergence of anti-microbial resistance with special reference to biofilm formation.

RESULTS

This review highlights the genetic strategies used by microorganisms to evade the lethal effects of anti-microbial agents by tracing the connections between candidate genes and biofilm formation.

CONCLUSION

The eye has its own microbiome which needs to be extensively studied under different physiological conditions; data on eye microbiomes of people from different ethnicities, geographical regions etc. are also needed to understand how these microbiomes affect ocular health.

Streptococcus salivarius endogenous endophthalmitis

We describe a case of endogenous endophthalmitis in an elderly man caused by Streptococcus salivarius An 88-year-old male patient with diabetes with iron deficiency anaemia and history of transcatheter aortic valve implantation presented with an insidious clinical picture of atraumatic endophthalmitis. No internal or external source could be identified. Diagnostic and therapeutic vitrectomy revealed papillomacular abscess and vitreous fluids grew S. salivarius Despite lack of an identifiable source of infection, a high index of suspicion for atypical presentations is required in patients with multiple comorbidities that could weaken their immune system towards opportunistic infections. Early detection, microbiological evaluation and prompt treatment are critical to avoid disastrous outcomes. While S. salivarius has been implicated in cases of exogenous endophthalmitis, this is the first reported case of endogenous endophthalmitis due to S. salivarius.

Trends in Infantile Endogenous Endophthalmitis Hospitalizations in the United States: An Analysis from 2007 through 2014 Using the National Inpatient Sample

PURPOSE

To determine the annual change in incidence of neonatal and infantile endogenous endophthalmitis in the United States between 2007 and 2014 and identify associated risk factors for development of endophthalmitis and mortality.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

Neonates (<28 days; n = 1650) hospitalized for endogenous endophthalmitis between 2003 and 2014 and infants (age range, 28 days-1 year; n = 1850) hospitalized between 2007 and 2014 across United States community hospitals were analyzed.

METHODS

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried to identify neonates hospitalized for endogenous endophthalmitis between 2003 and 2014 and infants hospitalized between 2007 and 2014 across the United States. National and regional incidence of neonatal and infantile endogenous endophthalmitis and comorbidities as well as risk factors in the development of the disease and predictive factors for mortality from the years 2007 through 2014 were calculated.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

National incidence, regional incidence, and risk factors for development of neonatal and infantile endogenous endophthalmitis.

RESULTS

The rate of decline in incidence of neonatal endogenous endophthalmitis was 4% from 2003 through 2014. The rate of decline in the infantile population was 7% from 2007 through 2014. In 2007, an estimated 291 total cases of infantile endophthalmitis were identified, in comparison with 140 cases in 2014. Comorbidities prevalent in the endophthalmitis population included prematurity, respiratory disorders, perinatal infections, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Significant positive predictors for the development of endogenous endophthalmitis based on multivariate logistic regression were perinatal infections, candidemia, bacteremia, very low birth weight, prematurity, respiratory disorders, and ROP. Descriptive analyses showed that the in-hospital mortality rate for patients identified with endophthalmitis was 1.55% in comparison with infants without endophthalmitis.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of endogenous endophthalmitis declined in both the neonatal and infantile population from 2007 through 2014. Odds of endogenous endophthalmitis were higher for premature and low-birthweight infants and those identified with perinatal infections, candidemia, bacteremia, respiratory disorders, or ROP. These findings are consistent with the decline observed in pediatric infectious disease-related hospitalizations in general.

Metastatic subretinal abscess in a patient with perinephric abscess

An 80-year-old lady with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes developed fever and abdominal pain followed by a sudden diminution of vision in her left eye. Right infra-renal abscess accounted for abdominal pain. A metastatic left subretinal abscess was diagnosed subsequently. Medical management for her systemic condition initiated. Vitreous biopsy was performed along-with intravitreal antibiotic administration. Because of no clinical recovery, patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy. Prompt systemic stabilization and a timely surgical intervention in the left eye resulted in a satisfactory visual gain. Metastatic subretinal abscess following a perinephric abscess is rare phenomenon and only a few cases are reported to date.

Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A Review of Case Series Published between 2011 and 2020

This is a literature review of 31 case series of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) published in the last ten years, identified from a literature search of several databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library). While diabetes mellitus and malignancies remain the most frequently associated medical conditions, intravenous drug use is a significant risk factor (especially in the last years, in studies from Western countries). Ophthalmologic screening is recommended for candidaemia, but not in patients with sepsis of other aetiologies (however, the physician treating patients with sepsis must be well aware of EE). The most frequent Gram-positive microorganisms that cause EE are Staphylococcus and Streptococcus; the most frequent Gram-negative organism is Pseudomonas, and yeasts, probably Candida, usually cause fungal infections. In all-cause EE, prognostic factors of better visual outcomes are initial VA better than counting fingers, performing a pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), performing an intravitreal injection within the first 24 hours after clinical diagnosis, and the presence of a focal type of EE. In endogenous fungal endophthalmitis, more than 1/4 of patients have bilateral involvement. Blood samples have a low rate of positivity. Yeasts remain the most prevalent cause. Many authors report using azoles and echinocandins for systemic therapy (and voriconazole for intravitreal injections). Although PPV was performed in small proportions of eyes, the anatomical success rate is quite high. Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important cause of EE in Southeast Asia (and probably an emergent etiology in other regions), which is frequently associated with diabetes. There is a robust association with pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) (but in up to half of the cases, the diagnosis of EE precedes that of PLA). Blood cultures have a high diagnostic yield, while vitreous samples have a low yield. K. pneumoniae may carry antibiotic resistance. Anatomical and functional success rates are small, but they may be improved with PPV.

Endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to Burkholderia cepacia: A rare presentation

Burkholderia cepacia (previously known as Pseudomonas cepacia) is low virulent, gram negative bacilli, known to cause infections in immunocompromised hosts. There are reports about this organism causing keratitis, acute or delayed postoperative, or post traumatic endophthalmitis. Persistence of infection and poor visual outcome are well known complications of infection caused by this organism. Endogenous endophthalmitis due to Burkholderia cepacia is rare. There is no such case report available of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by these bacteria in the literature, where it is presented as retinal abscess and retinal vasculitis. Our aim is to report such a rare case from our hospital, which was treated with systemic and intravitreal antibiotics, with control of infection.

Clinical Features of Endogenous Endophthalmitis Secondary to Minimally Invasive Upper Urinary Tract Calculus Removal

PURPOSE

To evaluate endogenous endophthalmitis clinical features following minimally invasive removal of upper urinary tract calculi.

METHODS

Medical records of twelve patients (17 eyes) with endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to minimally invasive upper urinary tract calculus removal were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Diabetes mellitus was found in 7 patients (58%). 10 patients (83%) suffered from fever. The stone extraction and ocular symptom onset interval ranged from 2 to 22 days. All eyes presented as vitritis and fluffy yellow-white retinal exudates. Hypopyon was only found in 3 eyes (18%). 5 patients (42%) were misdiagnosed as uveitis which led to mismanagement. Ocular fluids were culture positive for only C. albicans in 12 eyes (71%). 10 of 12 eyes (83%) with silicon oil tamponade obtained a final BCVA≥0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

C. albicans was the most common endogenous endophthalmitis pathogen after urinary calculus removal by minimally invasive surgery. Pars plana vitrectomy with silicon oil tamponade may be helpful to achieve a favorable visual outcome. Routine ophthalmologic evaluation by the uveitis or vitreoretinal specialist may be necessary within 2 weeks after the urological procedures.

Endogenous Endophthalmitis Caused by Isolated Listeria Monocytogenes Infection

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to present an extremely rare case of endogenous Listeria monocytogenes endophthalmitis.

METHODS

A 72-year-old woman was diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis. Listeria monocytogenes was identified by culture of aqueous humor. Multiple investigations could not reveal any source of infection. An overview of other published cases is presented and a standardized treatment protocol is suggested.

RESULTS

Treatment consisted of topical therapy with antibiotics, corticosteroids, cycloplegics, and intraocular pressure-lowering agents, four intravitreal injections of vancomycin, an anterior chamber washout, intravenous amoxicillin, and eventually a pars plana vitrectomy. The inflammation subsided and the patient was discharged with a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40.

CONCLUSION

Our study emphasizes the importance of adequate microbiological testing and initiating appropriate treatment early in the management of endogenous endophthalmitis.

Favourable outcome in paediatric endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to Neisseria meningitidis following pars plana vitrectomy

Paediatric endogenous endophthalmitis is an uncommon but potentially devastating intraocular infection which should not be missed. Often cases present to the accident and emergency department. Accurate and prompt assessment is key in saving sight and life. We present one such case and how it was surgically managed.

Effect of intravitreal ceftazidime injection on endogenous klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis, a single center case series

To report long-term outcomes of intravitreal ceftazidime injection in patients with endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKPE).This was a retrospective observational case study, including 7 eyes from 6 patients with EKPE. The medical records from January 2010 to December 2018 were reviewed.Diagnosis of EKPE was made based on the finding of endophthalmitis with concurrent systemic infection and positive blood culture result. All patients received tap and intravitreal ceftazidime injection base on the results of antibiotics sensitivity test. Visual acuity ranged from no light perception to 20/60 at initial visit, and the final visual acuity was 20/20. Two eyes underwent evisceration after intravitreal injection.Intravitreal ceftazidime injection showed favorable results in patients with EKPE.

Gram-negative endophthalmitis: A prospective study examining the microbiology, clinical associations and visual outcomes following infection

IMPORTANCE

This is the largest Gram-negative endophthalmitis specific series and provides important evidence to guide management.

BACKGROUND

Endophthalmitis is a sight-threatening emergency. Gram-negative infections are associated with poorer visual outcomes; however, there is limited literature pertaining to this uncommon condition.

DESIGN

Prospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

All patients presenting with endophthalmitis to a tertiary institution over a 20-year period.

METHODS

Data were collected prospectively and entered into a registry. Patients with microbiological evidence of Gram-negative infection were included in the analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Final visual acuity (VA), precipitating events, causative organisms, antibiotic sensitivity profiles and risk factors for poor visual outcomes were reported.

RESULTS

One hundred Gram-negative organisms were isolated in 97 eyes. Final VA was worse than 6/60 in 65 (67.0%) eyes at follow-up and 29 (29.9%) eyes were eviscerated or enucleated. Microbial keratitis (26.8%, n = 26) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34.0%, n = 34) were the most common precipitating event and causative organism, respectively. Eight (8.0%) isolates were third-generation cephalosporin resistant; of which, 7 (88.0%) were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Preceding microbial keratitis (OR = 13.16, P = .015) or P. aeruginosa infections (OR = 3.40, P = .045) were strongly associated with poorer visual outcomes (worse than 6/60).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Visual outcomes following Gram-negative endophthalmitis are extremely poor, with almost 30% of patients being eviscerated or enucleated. A majority of ceftazidime resistant organisms are sensitive to ciprofloxacin, providing evidence to support the empirical use of quinolones. Clinicians should be mindful that infections secondary to P. aeruginosa or microbial keratitis carry a particularly poor prognosis.

Intraocular Biopsy and ImmunoMolecular Pathology for "Unmasking" Intraocular Inflammatory Diseases

Intraocular inflammation can hide a variety of eye pathologies. In 33% of cases, to obtain a correct diagnosis, investigation of the intraocular sample is necessary. The combined analyses of the intraocular biopsy, using immuno-pathology and molecular biology, point to resolve the diagnostic dilemmas in those cases where history, clinical tests, and ophthalmic and systemic examinations are inconclusive. In such situations, the teamwork between the ophthalmologist and the molecular pathologist is critically important to discriminate between autoimmune diseases, infections, and intraocular tumors, including lymphoma and metastases, especially in those clinical settings known as masquerade syndromes. This comprehensive review focuses on the diagnostic use of intraocular biopsy and highlights its potential to enhance research in the field. It describes the different surgical techniques of obtaining the biopsy, risks, and complication rates. The review is organized according to the anatomical site of the sample: I. anterior chamber containing aqueous humor, II. iris and ciliary body, III. vitreous, and IV. choroid and retina. We have excluded the literature concerning biopsy for choroidal melanoma and retinoblastoma, as this is a specialized area more relevant to ocular oncology.

Impact of antibiotic resistance of pathogens and early vitrectomy on the prognosis of infectious endophthalmitis: a 10-year retrospective study

PURPOSE

Infectious endophthalmitis (IE) is a severe complication that can lead to blindness even with treatment. However, the impact of antibiotic resistance and early vitrectomy on its prognosis has scarcely been documented. This study investigated the impact of antibiotic resistance of pathogen and early vitrectomy on the prognosis of IE.

METHODS

The medical records of 171 patients treated for IE at a tertiary referral center between 2007 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for etiology, pathogen, drug resistance to vancomycin or third-generation cephalosporins, treatment types and timing, and visual outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Among 171 eyes, 121 (70.8%) eyes developed IE after intraocular surgery (cataract surgery, 46.3%; intraocular injection, 13.2%), 37 (21.6%) eyes developed IE endogenously, and 9 (5.3%) eyes developed IE after trauma. The major causative pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (9.4%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.0%). In total, 72.6% of the identified pathogens demonstrated antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance was associated with a worse final vision (P = .027). Visual prognosis was better for eyes treated with early vitrectomy combined with intravitreal antimicrobial injections within 24 h of onset than for eyes that received only intravitreal antimicrobial injections before undergoing delayed vitrectomy (P = .003).

CONCLUSION

Antibiotic resistance of organisms causing IE is one of the most important prognostic factors. Early vitrectomy (i.e., within 24 h) may be helpful for achieving a better visual outcome. Immediate vitrectomy can be recommended, especially in IE cases caused by organisms with resistance to empirically used antibiotics.

Endogenous endophthalmitis: a 9-year retrospective study at a tertiary referral hospital in Malaysia

Background

The objective of this study was to determine the clinical presentation, systemic risk factors, source of infective microorganism, treatment outcomes, and prognostic indicators of endogenous endophthalmitis at a main tertiary referral hospital for uveitis in Malaysia. A retrospective review of medical records of 120 patients (143 eyes) with endogenous endophthalmitis over a period of 9 years between January 2007 and December 2015 was undertaken.

Results

Identifiable systemic risk factors were present in 79.2%, with the majority related to diabetes mellitus (60.0%). The most common source of bacteremia was urinary tract infection (17.5%). A positive culture from ocular fluid or other body fluids was obtained in 82 patients (68.9%), and the blood was the highest source among all culture-positive results (42.0%). Gram-negative organisms accounted 42 cases (50.6%) of which Klebsiella pneumonia was the most common organism isolated (32.5%). Sixty-nine eyes (48.6%) were managed medically, and 73 eyes (51.4%) underwent vitrectomy. Final visual acuity of counting fingers (CF) or better was achieved in 100 eyes (73.0%). Presenting visual acuity of CF or better was significantly associated with a better final acuity of CF or better (p = 0.001).

Conclusions

The visual prognosis of endogenous endophthalmitis is often poor, leading to blindness. As expected, gram-negative organisms specifically Klebsiella pneumonia were the most common organisms isolated. Urinary tract infection was the main source of infection. Poor presenting visual acuity was significantly associated with grave visual outcomes. A high index of suspicion, early diagnosis, and treatment are crucial to salvage useful vision.

A British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit Study on metastatic endogenous endophthalmitis

PurposeEndogenous endophthalmitis (EE) is a rare but serious ocular infection caused by the seeding of bacteria into the eye from a source elsewhere in the body. Studies suggest that EE accounts for 2 to 8% of all endophthalmitis.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted using the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit reporting system. Questionnaires were sent to reporting Ophthalmologists in the UK to assess incidence, underlying aetiology, eye findings, management, and final outcomes in endogenous endophthalmitis over a 12-month period within the British Isles.ResultsSixty two cases reported with 48 initial questionnaires returned and 25 6-month follow-up questionnaires returned. The median age of patients affected was 57 years with youngest aged 2 years and oldest aged 85 years. Twenty three were male and 24 were female. The median visual acuity in the affected eye was 3 logMAR (range -0.1 to 5). Blood cultures were taken in 36 patients, 58% of which were positive. Vitreous biopsy was taken in 35 patients, 23% of which were culture positive. The visual function as assessed by visual acuity had significantly improved at 6 months with a median acuity of 0.18 logMAR (P=0.003).ConclusionsThe survey demonstrates the severe nature of endogenous endophthalmitis in patients with active infection or with risk factors for infection. Our study has demonstrated that at least half of the patients who were treated had significant vision improvement.

Infectious Sources, Prognostic Factors, and Visual Outcomes of Endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae Endophthalmitis

PURPOSE

To investigate the infectious sources and prognostic factors for poor visual outcome, including subjective symptoms, presenting clinical features, laboratory data, and treatments, in patients diagnosed with endogenous Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis (EKE) at a tertiary referral center in Northern Taiwan.

DESIGN

Retrospective, single-institution, consecutive case series.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred ten consecutive patients (124 eyes) diagnosed with EKE.

METHODS

One hundred ten patients (124 eyes) were reviewed retrospectively between January 1996 and April 2013.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Visual acuity (VA), subjective symptoms, presenting clinical features, laboratory data, treatments, and requirement of evisceration or enucleation.

RESULTS

Of the 110 patients with EKE, 74 (67.3%) were men. Diabetes was the most commonly associated systemic disease (75/110 [68.2%]), and liver abscess was the major infection source (85/110 [77.3%]). In addition, 91 of 124 eyes (73.4%) had final VA worse than counting fingers (CF; poor visual outcome), and 20 eyes required evisceration or enucleation. The binary multivariate logistic regression (forward-Wald) model revealed that poor initial VA worse than CF (odds ratio [OR], 8.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-36; P = 0.002), positive vitreous culture results (OR, 9.8; 95% CI, 1.7-56.1; P = 0.010), posterior focal EKE (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.03-0.8; P = 0.027), and the presence of intravitreal dexamethasone administration (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.9; P = 0.030) were the significant independent factors for visual outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver abscess was the major infection source, and EKE typically has poor visual prognosis. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment may salvage useful vision in some eyes. Early diagnosis with fair initial VA and intravitreal antibiotic and dexamethasone combination therapy may have beneficial effects on visual outcomes.

Analysis of Klebsiella as a Prognostic Factor of Ocular Outcomes in Endogenous Endophthalmitis with Decision Tree Analysis

BACKGROUND

Endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) is a fulminant ocular disease. This study was conducted to explore frequent pathogens and significant prognostic factors associated with poor ocular outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed in a tertiary hospital in Korea. Thirty-nine patients, treated between January 2000 and June 2017, were eligible for the analysis. Ocular outcomes were classified as follows: 1) no light perception (NLP), 2) light perception (LP), 3) hand motion (HM), 4) counting fingers (CF), and 5) 20/200 or better. Logistic regression and decision tree analyses were used to identify risk factors that were associated with poor outcomes.

RESULTS

Pathogens were identified in 23 (58.9%) samples from blood, liver aspirate, and/or vitreous humor. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most frequent organism (12/39, 30.8%), followed by Candida species (3/39, 8.3%). The most common combined infection was liver abscess (16/39, 41.0%). Acute pyelonephritis occurred in 30.8% of cases (12/39). Final ocular outcomes were as follows: 35.9% (14/39) NLP, 15.4% (6/39) LP, 15.4% (6/39) HM, 7.7% (3/39) CF, and 25.6% (10/39) 20/200 or better. K. pneumoniae was a poor prognostic factor in univariate (odds ratio [OR], 13.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1-130.9) and multivariate (OR, 17.5; 95% CI, 2.1-398.8) regression analyses (NLP and LP vs. HM, CF, and 20/200 or better). Other factors did not reach statistical difference. Decision tree analysis identified K. pneumoniae as a node that divided ocular outcomes (P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, K. pneumoniae is the most frequent causative pathogen of EE. Considering the poor prognosis and rapid progression of K. pneumoniae EE, physicians should test for K. pneumoniae EE in patients who experience acute systemic infections with ocular signs and symptoms.

59 eyes with endogenous endophthalmitis- causes, outcomes and mortality in a Danish population between 2000 and 2016

BACKGROUND

To study the epidemiology of patients with endogenous endophthalmitis in Denmark.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective and prospective case series of 59 eyes in patients with endogenous endophthalmitis in Denmark between 2000 and 2016.

RESULTS

The age of the patients ranged from 28 to 90 years with a median of 66 years. Sixty-two percent of the eyes had a final VA (visual acuity) ≤ 0.1 while 8% had a final VA ≥ 1.0. Positive cultures were obtained in 51% of the cases from the blood and in 43% from the vitreous. Streptococcus species and Staphylococcus aureus were the most commonly identified microorganisms. The sources of endogenous endophthalmitis were diverse and were not identified in 36% of the patients. Diabetes (36%) was the most predisposing medical illness. A total of 15% of the patients died within the first year after surgery for endophthalmitis and half of the patients died during follow up. The mortality of patients was 22.6 times higher compared to a Danish background population. Culture positive patients had a higher mortality compared to culture negative patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a heterogeneous condition which is reflected in the age, the visual outcome and the mortality of the patients. The epidemiology of the disease is very different in Scandinavia compared to Asia. The visual prognosis remains grave and the majority of the eyes lose useful vision.

Endophthalmitis

Endophthalmitis is a rare but severe form of ocular inflammation due to infection of the intraocular cavity that can lead to irreversible visual loss if not treated properly and timely. It can be classified as exogenous or endogenous based on the transmission route of the infectious source. Exogenous endophthalmitis occurs when infecting organisms gain entry into the eye via direct inoculation, while endogenous endophthalmitis occurs when infectious agents hematogenously spread into the eye from a distant focus of infection. The diagnosis of endophthalmitis depends mostly on the clinical findings on ophthalmological examination. Delayed diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis can lead to not only visual loss, but also increased risk of mortality. Since ocular and systemic symptoms of endophthalmitis are usually non-specific, early diagnosis relies on the alertness of clinicians. Early diagnosis and proper treatment are keys to saving the eye. Following advances in vitreoretinal pharmacotherapy and surgical technology, early surgical intervention is the current trend in the management of endophthalmitis.

A Case of Invasive Pneumococcal Infection with Septic Shock and Rare Complications

Invasive pneumococcus is a serious illness with potentially devastating outcomes. A 64-year-old female with a medical history of psoriatic arthritis and diabetes was transferred from an outside hospital for ventilator dependent respiratory failure and altered mental status. She initially presented with worsening back pain and was found to have leukocytosis with bandemia and acute renal failure but she was in septic shock upon arrival to our tertiary care center. Her blood cultures grew Streptococcus pneumoniae and MRI of the brain revealed pus within the posterior lateral ventricles and multiple infarcts. MRI of the spine revealed a psoas abscess. Transesophageal echocardiogram revealed mitral valve vegetation and her right eye developed endogenous endophthalmitis. She was treated with intravenous and intravitreal antibiotics and underwent drainage of the abscess with no improvement in mental status. Repeat imaging revealed multiple new thalamic, basal ganglia, and parietal lobe infarcts likely from septic emboli. After a protracted ICU stay, the patient’s family opted for comfort care. The incidence of invasive pneumococcal infections has declined rapidly since the advent of antibiotics and vaccines. With the growing incidence of antibiotic resistance as well as the emergence of new immunomodulating drugs for various pathologies, there is a concern that invasive infections will reemerge. Ventriculitis and endogenous endophthalmitis are very rare complications of pneumococcal bacteremia.

Clinical profile and outcomes of pediatric endogenous endophthalmitis: A report of 11 cases from South India

AIM

To study the clinical profile and outcomes of pediatric endogenous endophthalmitis from a tertiary eye hospital in South India.

METHODS

A total of 13 eyes of 11 children presented to us with varied symptoms and presentations of endogenous endophthalmitis, over a five-year period from January 2010 to December 2015 were studied. Except for two eyes of a patient, vitreous aspirates were cultured from all 11 eyes to isolate the causative organism. These eleven eyes also received intravitreal injections. All patients were treated with systemic antibiotics.

RESULTS

Two cases had bilateral endophthalmitis. Ages ranged from 4 d to 11 years. Five cases were undiagnosed and treated, before being referred to our center. Ten of the 13 eyes underwent a core vitrectomy. The vitrectomy was done at an average on the second day after presenting (range 0-20 d). Five of the 11 vitreous aspirates showed isolates. The incriminating organisms were bacteria in three and fungus in two. An underlying predisposing factor was found in seven patients. At a mean follow-up 21.5 mo, outcome was good in 7 eyes of 6 cases (54%), five eyes of four cases (38%) ended up with phthisis bulbi while one child died of systemic complications.

CONCLUSION

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a challenge for ophthalmologists. Early diagnosis and intervention is the key for a better outcome.

Possible Relation between Lack of Posterior Vitreous Detachment and Severe Endogenous Endophthalmitis

Purpose. Endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) is a rare ocular disease caused by bacterial or fungal infection of intraocular spaces by hematogenous spread of pathogens from distant infectious loci in the body. We investigated the clinical characteristics and management of eyes with EE in ten consecutive patients. Methods. Ten patients (10 eyes) with EE treated at Tokyo Medical University Hospital in 2014 were reviewed. We retrospectively studied the causative organisms, systemic complications, pre/postoperative mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and status of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). Results. The 10 patients comprised 8 males and 2 females, with mean age of 71.2 years. The causative organisms were bacteria in 6 eyes and fungi in 4 eyes. Systemic complications included septicemia or disseminated intravascular coagulation in 5 patients and diabetes mellitus in 4 patients. Postoperative BCVA was improved by 0.2log⁡MAR or greater in 4 eyes and decreased in 4 eyes. Vitrectomy was performed in all eyes, and 4 required multiple surgeries. During vitrectomy, PVD was absent in 8 eyes, 4 of which showed retinal necrosis. The mean age of patients with no PVD was 71.2 years. Conclusion. Despite an advanced age, PVD was absent in the majority of patients with EE. PVD may be related to the pathogenesis and aggravation of EE.

Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection Leads to a Poor Visual Outcome in Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A 12-year Experience in Southern Taiwan

PURPOSE

To compare the characteristics, visual outcome, and prognostic factors of patients with endogenous endophthalmitis and to determine the association of endophthalmitis with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed records of patients diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis from January 2002 to August 2013.

RESULTS

A total of 86 patients were diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis; 48 patients were infected with K. pneumoniae, 28 patients were infected with other pathogens, and 10 were culture-negative. Diabetes mellitus was more prevalent among patients infected with K. pneumoniae. Liver abscess and urinary tract infection were the leading sources of infection in patients with and without a K. pneumoniae infection, respectively. In patients with endogenous endophthalmitis, poor initial vision (p<0.001) and K. pneumoniae infection (p = 0.048) were significantly associated with a poor visual outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor initial vision and K. pneumoniae infection were significantly associated with poorer visual outcome for patients with endogenous endophthalmitis.

Listeria monocytogenes endophthalmitis - case report and review of risk factors and treatment outcomes

Background

The majority of cases of endophthalmitis are caused by exogenous pathogens; only 5–10 % are of endogenous origin. One cause of these rare cases of endogenous endophthalmitis is Listeria monocytogenes. Twenty-six cases of endophthalmitis due to this pathogen have been published over the last twenty years. The aim of this review is to summarize the main risk factors and common clinical findings of endogenous endophthalmitis due to Listeria monocytogenes.

Case presentation

We report on a 62-year-old female presenting with a sterile hypopyon iritis with secondary glaucoma and an underlying rheumatoid disease. In microbiological analysis we identified Listeria monocytogenes. Further we searched through all published cases for typical signs, risk factors, details of medical and surgical treatment and outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis due to this rare pathogen.

Ocular symptoms in almost all of these published cases included pain, redness of the eye, and decreased vision. Main clinical features included elevated intraocular pressure and fibrinous anterior chamber reaction, as well as a dark hypopyon. While the infection is typically spread endogenously, neither an exogenous nor endogenous source of infection could be identified in most cases. Immunocompromised patients are at higher risk of being infected than immunocompetent patients. The clinical course of endophthalmitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes had different visual outcomes. In some cases, the infection led to enucleation, blindness, or strong visual loss, whereas most patients showed a tendency of visual improvement during therapy.

Conclusion

Early diagnosis and treatment initiation are crucial factors in the outcome of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes. This possible differential diagnosis should be kept in mind while treating patients with presumable sterile hypopyon and anterior uveitis having a high intraocular pressure. A bacterial source should be considered with a prompt initiation of systemic antibiotic treatment, mainly in immunocompromised patients, who develop endogenous anterior uveitis. An appropriate microbiological sampling is essential to detect atypical microorganisms and to choose an effective antibiotic treatment.

Endogenous endophthalmitis: diagnosis, management, and prognosis

Endogenous endophthalmitis is an ophthalmic emergency that can have severe sight-threatening complications. It is often a diagnostic challenge because it can manifest at any age and is associated with a number of underlying predisposing factors. Microorganisms associated with this condition vary along a broad spectrum. Depending upon the severity of the disease, both medical and surgical interventions may be employed. Due to rarity of the disease, there are no guidelines in literature for optimal management of these patients. In this review, treatment guidelines based on clinical data and microorganism profile have been proposed.

Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A 10-Year Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Hospital in South India

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to review the clinical profile including predisposing systemic conditions, microorganisms responsible, clinical presentation, and outcomes of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) in South India.

DESIGN

This study is a retrospective, noncomparative case series.

METHODS

This study presents a retrospective analysis of records of patients with EE in a 10-year period.

RESULTS

A total of 61 eyes of 58 patients were included in the study. Preceding systemic illness or surgery was noted in 31 patients (53.4%). No predisposing condition was found in 27 patients (46.5%). All eyes had severe diffuse EE. Culture positivity was seen in 34 of 58 patients (58.6%). Gram-positive organisms were isolated in 9 cases (15.5%), and Gram-negative organisms were isolated in 20 cases (34.5%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.8%) was the most common isolate. Eleven eyes (18%) were managed medically with intravenous and intravitreal antibiotics, and 38 eyes (62.3%) also underwent vitrectomy. Eight eyes (13.1%) required repeat vitrectomy, and 12 eyes (19.7%) were eviscerated. The mean follow-up was 16.2 ± 13.9 months. Final visual acuity of 20/200 or better was seen in 29.5% eyes. A favorable outcome was noted in culture-positive patients (P = 0.03) and in patients with no predisposing causes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides information about the clinical and microbiologic profile of EE. Aggressive medical and surgical treatment can result in favorable outcomes.

The influence of needle gauge and infection source on vitreous aspirate cultures

BACKGROUND/AIMS

While the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study (EVS) included only post-cataract surgery patients, the methods and data from that study are widely applied in the management of endophthalmitis of all types. We sought to examine how our experience with in-office vitreous aspiration differed from the EVS in two ways: first, by reviewing microbiological culture yields from vitreous aspirates obtained using 30-gauge needles versus 25-27-gauge needles and second, by reviewing culture yields in cases of endogenous versus non-endogenous endophthalmitis.

METHODS

Cases of endophthalmitis over a 14-year period were reviewed when vitreous tap was the initial diagnostic procedure. The data included infection source, needle size used to obtain a vitreous aspirate, organism cultured and rates of unsuccessful attempts at vitreous aspiration or dry taps.

RESULTS

10 cases were endogenous endophthalmitis, while 36 cases were a mix of postoperative, post-traumatic, post-intravitreal injection and miscellaneous patients. A positive microbiological culture was obtained in 11/36 (31%) of vitreous taps using a 25-27-gauge needle and in 8/10 (80%) taps using a 30-gauge needle (p<0.01). A positive vitreous culture was obtained in 18/36 (50%) of all non-endogenous cases, while a positive result was obtained in 0/10 (0%) cases of endogenous endophthalmitis (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of a smaller needle in obtaining vitreous samples in endophthalmitis did not lower the microbiological yield. A positive microbiological yield was significantly less likely in cases of endogenous endophthalmitis compared with non-endogenous cases. Vitreous tap as a method for identifying the causative organism in endogenous endophthalmitis was of limited utility.