Posted on March 28, 2010 in Common Eye Problems

In most clinical cases, the main causative organisms of endophthalmitis are gram positive organisms. These include organisms like coagulase negative Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus species. In some penetrating injuries, gram negative organisms like Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas and Enterococcus are observed. Endogenous endophthalmitis is mainly caused by fungal infections.

Causes of Endophtalmitis

Endogenous Endophthalmitis:

• Recent prosthetic heart valves, nonocular surgery or trauma, intravenous drug abuse and immunosupression may become lead to endogenous endophthalmitis.
• Patients who are already suffering from diseases like chronic renal failure, AIDS, systemic lupus erythematosus, diabetes mellitus, lymphoma,etc. are highly susceptible to endogenous endophthalmitis.
• Invasive procedures that may cause bacteremia (bladder catheterization, chemotherapy, hemodialysis, total parenteral nutrition, gastrointestinal endoscopy) can also lead to disease manifestation.

Exogenous Endophthalmitis:

• Micro organisms that reside at the eyelid, conjunctiva or eyelashes and are inoculated at the time of surgery may cause post operative endophthalmitis.
• Exogenous endophthalmitis manifests after trauma or post operatively. In most cases, gram positive organisms are 90% responsible for initiating this condition.
• Several fungi species have caused postoperative endophthalmitis. This include Penicillium, Candida and Aspergillus species.

Traumatic Endophthalmitis:

Fungi or bacteria inoculated at the time of injury to the globe can lead to endophtalmitis. it occurs in up to 13 % of cases.In rural settings, the risk of developing traumatic endophtalmitis is predominant. Foreign particles carrying vegetable matter or soil can contaminate the globe.

Treatment of Endophthalmitis

You should consult an ophthalmologist after the initial diagnosis. the mode of the treatment depends on the underlying cause of endophthalmitis. Positive results are seen if it is timely recognised and treated accordingly. Since 1995 the rate of preserving visual acuity has not changed.

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