EFFECT OF INTRAVITREAL DEXAMETHASONE IN TREATMENT OF PNEUMOCOCCAL ENDOPHTHALMITIS IN RABBITS

Purpose: To investigate whether corticosteroid therapy would decrease the inflammation and tissue damage associated with pneumococcal endoph thalmitis. Methods: Albino rabbits were injected intravitreally with 1 000 live organisms of Streptococcus pneumoniae and randomized after 24 hours to treatment with intravitreal vancomycin hydrochloride alone ( n=10), combination intravitreal vancomycin and intravitreal dexamethas one (n=10), or no treatment (n=10). After 2 weeks, the eyes were exami ned clinically and enucleated for histopathologic examination. Results : Eyes treated with vancomycin and dexamethasone had significantly les s intraocular inflammation and more preservation of retinal tissue tha n untreated eyes or eyes treated with vancomycin alone (P<.05, Fisher' s exact test). Untreated and vancomycin-treated eyes were indistinguis hable on clinical and histologic examination. Marked anterior and post erior segment inflammation with total retinal necrosis was noted in ey es from both groups. Conclusion: Intravitreal corticosteroid therapy m ay play an important role in minimizing the inflammation and tissue da mage associated with pneumococcal endophthalmitis.