Effectiveness of immediate vitrectomy and intravitreal antibiotics for post-injection endophthalmitis

To show that an immediate vitrectomy with an intravitreal injection of antibiotics can be an effective approach for the treatment of acute endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections. We reviewed all cases of clinical endophthalmitis caused by an intravitreal injection that were treated in our department between March 2012 and November 2019. Only patients that underwent a vitrectomy within 6 h after presentation to the clinic and with a documented visual acuity shortly before the causative event were included. Baseline best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before the causative event was compared to BCVA measured within a follow-up period of 8 months (up to 14 months). In total, 30 eyes of 30 patients were included. The BCVA before the intraocular infection was a mean value of 0.55 logMAR, and the BCVA on the day of the endophthalmitis decreased significantly to 1.66 logMAR. Within 2 months following the pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), the mean BCVA improved to 0.83 logMAR. Eight months following PPV (mean value, 8.20 months; SD, 3.59 months), the mean BCVA was 0.63 logMAR. In the last follow-up interval most of the eyes recovered, and the BCVA did not differ significantly from baseline. Two eyes underwent further pars plana surgery during the follow-up period. No enucleation was required. In this study, we have shown that an immediate vitrectomy with subsequent intravitreal injection of antibiotics is an effective option for treating post-injection endophthalmitis and frequently results in recovery of vision; thus, it should be performed as early as possible, where available.