Culture Proven Endogenous Bacterial Endophthalmitis in Apparently Healthy Individuals

Purpose: To report 7 eyes of 7 patients who were diagnosed as the cases of endogenous endophthalmitis and proved by culture reports. Though in most of the previously published series, one or more predisposing factors were present in the patients of endogenous endophthalmitis, the authors are presenting a case series of culture-proven endogenous endophthalmitis in apparently healthy and immunocompetent individuals. Design: Retrospective noncomparative case series. All patients were diagnosed as endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis with positive vitreal culture. Variables studied were demographic characteristics, microbiology, therapeutic interventions done, final visual and anatomical outcome. Results: Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most frequent isolate 43% (3 out of 7 eyes) followed by Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli in equal frequency 29% ( 2 each out of 7 eyes). The median time between the onset of symptoms and presentation with features of endophthalmitis to hospital was 7 days. The presenting visual acuity was less than HM (hand motions) in all cases except one, which had VA of 20/200. No single underlying predisposing condition was identifiable in any of the cases. All the cases were given intravitreal therapeutic agents (one or more doses of antibiotics and steroid) and pars plana vitrectomy was performed in 2 cases. The final visual acuity was not better than presenting VA except in 1 case, which had final VA of 20/40. Intraocular pressure was on the lower side (mean IOP 7 mmHg compared to 12 mmHg in the fellow eye). No eye was enucleated or eviscerated. Conclusion: Though in most of the previously published literature endogenous endophthalmitis has been a metastatic ocular infection, the present study describes a series of endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis de novo in onset, without any identifiable predisposing factors. The overall age of presentation was in a younger population than in previously published series. The overall visual outcome was poor, probably due to the serious nature of disease itself and the relatively late presentation.