Objective:
To highlight the diagnostic challenges and clinical presentation of endogenous endophthalmitis.
Approach:
- Study Design: Retrospective review of 50 eyes from 41 patients with culture-proven endogenous endophthalmitis treated between 2013 and 2024.
- Data Collection: Examined clinical presentation, microbiological findings, systemic associations, management strategies, and visual outcomes.
Key Findings:
- 73% of patients presented in an outpatient setting; only 39% reported systemic symptoms.
- Blurred vision (88%) was the most common presenting complaint, followed by ocular pain (42%) and redness (27%).
- Candida species were the leading causative organism, accounting for 50% of positive vitreous cultures.
- 56% of patients had an identifiable infectious source, primarily from indwelling medical devices.
- 12% of patients were misdiagnosed with alternative inflammatory conditions before the correct diagnosis.
- Blood cultures were positive in 56% of cases.
Interpretation:
Endogenous endophthalmitis often presents primarily as an ocular issue, complicating timely diagnosis and treatment.
Limitations:
- Retrospective nature may limit the generalizability of findings.
- Potential for misdiagnosis may affect reported outcomes.
Conclusion:
Endogenous endophthalmitis poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, necessitating high clinical suspicion in at-risk patients.
Sources:
This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.
