ENDOPHTHALMITIS AFTER CATARACT-SURGERY - LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

Background Endophthalmitis is a serious complication after cataract su rgery. Patients and Methods Therefore. a retrospective study was perfo rmed by reviewing patient-records of all cases of endophthalmitis afte r catract surgery that were treated at the department of ophthalmology of the University Hospital in Mainz between January 1986 and December 1995. Results 44 eyes were treated for endophthalmitis. Of those, 38 had been referred. In 15 eyes cataract surgery was performed on an out patient basis. In 20 cases the onset of endophthalmitis occurred withi n the first postoperative week. We isolated staphylococcus epidermidis (14), staphylococcus aureus (4), other gram-positve microorganisms (1 5). gram negative bacteria (2) and candida (1). As risk factors we fou nd a wound dehiscence (14), an intraoperative loss of vitreous (11), d iabetes (11), skin-diseases like rosacea or neurodermatitis (6). In 36 cases a vitrectomy was performed. After a mean follow-up of 25 +/- 22 months 26 patients had a visual acuity of 0,05 or better. Conclusion Gram-positive bacteria showed Co be the most common causetive microorg anisms. In a third of all cases the sample demonstrated no growth. Mor e than 80% of the eyes were treated by vitrectomy. About 60% of the pa tients obtained a visual acuity of 0,05 or better.