Fungal Endophthalmitis: A Comprehensive Review

Endophthalmitis is a serious ophthalmologic condition involving purulent inflammation of the intraocular spaces. The underlying etiology of infectious endophthalmitis is typically bacterial or fungal. The mechanism of entry into the eye is either exogenous, involving seeding of an infectious source from outside the eye (e.g., trauma or surgical complications), or endogenous, involving transit of an infectious source to the eye via the bloodstream. The most common organism for fungal endophthalmitis is Candida albicans. The most common clinical manifestation of fungal endophthalmitis is vision loss, but other signs of inflammation and infection are frequently present. Fungal endophthalmitis is a clinical diagnosis, which can be supported by vitreous, aqueous, or blood cultures. Treatment involves systemic and intravitreal antifungal medications as well as possible pars plana vitrectomy. In this review, we examine these essential elements of understanding fungal endophthalmitis as a clinically relevant entity, which threatens patients’ vision.

Intraocular dendritic cells characterize HLA-B27-associated acute anterior uveitis

Uveitis describes a heterogeneous group of inflammatory eye diseases characterized by infiltration of leukocytes into the uveal tissues. Uveitis associated with the HLA haplotype B27 (HLA-B27) is a common subtype of uveitis and a prototypical ocular immune-mediated disease. Local immune mechanisms driving human uveitis are poorly characterized mainly due to the limited available biomaterial and subsequent technical limitations. Here, we provide the first high-resolution characterization of intraocular leukocytes in HLA-B27-positive (n = 4) and -negative (n = 2) anterior uveitis and an infectious endophthalmitis control (n = 1) by combining single-cell RNA-sequencing with flow cytometry and protein analysis. Ocular cell infiltrates consisted primarily of lymphocytes in both subtypes of uveitis and of myeloid cells in infectious endophthalmitis. HLA-B27-positive uveitis exclusively featured a plasmacytoid and classical dendritic cell (cDC) infiltrate. Moreover, cDCs were central in predicted local cell-cell communication. This suggests a unique pattern of ocular leukocyte infiltration in HLA-B27-positive uveitis with relevance to DCs.

Treatment outcomes of acute poptoperative infectious endophthalmitis

Background Acute postoperative endophthalmitis is one of the most severe complications of modern ophthalmic procedures including cataract surgeries, vitrectomy and intravitreal injection (IVI). We evaluated the treatment outcomes of acute postoperative infectious endophthalmitis. Methods In this retrospective study, we collected data from 82 patients with acute infectious endophthalmitis within 6 weeks after intraocular surgeries, including cataract surgeries, vitreoretinal surgeries, and IVI, from January 2010 to December 2019. We analyzed the pre-treatment, treatment-related and post-treatment factors that affected visual outcomes. Results The mean age was 67.65 ± 9.52 years, the proportion of male patients was 56.1%. The mean baseline vision was 1.92 (Snellen Equivalent SE], counting finger [CF]) ± 0.54 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (log MAR) and the mean final vision was 0.71 (SE, 39/200) ± 0.80 logMAR. Visual improvement was significant (P < 0.001). The pre-treatment factors affecting final visual outcomes were diabetes, hemodialysis, baseline vision, signs of vitreous opacity, and different surgeries before endophthalmitis; the treatment-related factors affecting visual outcomes were the choice factors between IVI of antibiotics alone and vitrectomy combined with IVI of antibiotics, and the injection numbers of antibiotics; post-treatment factors affecting visual outcomes were complications such as retinal detachment (RD), glaucoma and macular pucker. Furthermore, prior cataract surgery was associated with a better mean final vision of 0.57 (SE, 54/200) ± 0.67 logMAR while prior vitrectomy resulted in the worst mean final vision of 1.38 (SE, 21/500) ± 0.75 logMAR. Conclusions The important factors that affected the final visual prognosis, included diabetes, hemodialysis, baseline vision, severity of vitritis, treatment strategies and complications. The treatment outcomes revealed better final vision in prior cataract surgery than vitrectomy.

Bordetella avium-associated endophthalmitis: case report

Background Bordetella avium, an aerobic bacterium that rarely causes infection in humans, is a species of Bordetella that generally inhabits the respiratory tracts of turkeys and other birds. It causes a highly contagious bordetellosis. Few reports describe B. avium as a causative agent of eye-related infections. Case presentation We report a case of acute infectious endophthalmitis associated with infection by B. avium after open trauma. After emergency vitrectomy and subsequent broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment, the infection was controlled successfully, and the patient’s vision improved. Conclusions B. avium can cause infection in the human eye, which can manifest as acute purulent endophthalmitis. Nanopore targeted sequencing technology can quickly identify this organism. Emergency vitrectomy combined with lens removal and silicone oil tamponade and the early application of broad-spectrum antibiotics are key for successful treatment.

Management Patterns and Outcomes for Intravitreal Injection–Related Endophthalmitis

Purpose: This work describes the clinical management and outcomes in cases of presumed infectious endophthalmitis following intravitreal injection at a tertiary academic medical center. Methods: A retrospective review took place of eyes that presented to the Duke Eye Center over a 9-year period and were diagnosed with intravitreal injection–related endophthalmitis. Clinical presentation, management, microbiologic yield, visual outcomes, and complications were abstracted from medical records. Results: Of 23 eyes diagnosed with postinjection endophthalmitis, 52.2% underwent anterior chamber tap (33.3% of which first underwent dry needle vitreous tap), 47.8% underwent needle vitreous tap, 17.4% underwent neither, and none underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for initial management. Subsequent PPV was performed in 6 eyes (26.1%). Mean visual acuity (VA) improved by 50 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters at 6 months. Eyes that underwent initial anterior chamber tap had worse presenting VA than those that did not ( P = .01). Eyes undergoing subsequent PPV had worse VA at presentation ( P = .02) and at 6 months ( P < .001). Eyes presenting with VA of hand motion (20/8000) or worse were more likely to undergo subsequent PPV ( P = .02). Conclusions: Eyes with intravitreal injection–related endophthalmitis presenting with VA of hand motion or worse were more likely to undergo subsequent PPV. Future studies with larger cohorts may reveal whether earlier vitrectomy should be considered in these patients.

Bacillus endophthalmitis after cataract removal surgery following initial ocular trauma: a case report

Infectious endophthalmitis is an ocular infection caused by bacterial or fungal organisms involving intraocular tissues, aqueous, and vitreous humour. Bacillus sp. is an uncommon microorganism causing endophthalmitis. We describe a teenager who presented with a self-sealed corneal laceration, cataractous lens, and evidence of a breach in the anterior capsule. The eye was initially quiet and stable. The event started 1 day after uncomplicated cataract surgery. The patient developed fulminant postoperative endophthalmitis with a fatal final visual outcome. A high index of suspicion is mandatory, and more aggressive treatment may be able to improve the final outcome.

Assembly of Two New Coordination Polymers: Luminescent Properties and Anti-inflammatory Activity on Postoperative Infectious Endophthalmitis

The solvothermal reactions via the self-assemble approach produced two new metal-organic compounds, i.e, [Zn(4-cptpy)(HCOO)(H2O)]n·n(DMF) (1) and [Cd3(btc)2(4-cptpyH)(DMF)(H2O)3]n (2) (DMF is N,N’-dimethylformamide, H3btc is benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid, and 4-Hcptpy is 4-[2,6-bis(pyridine-4-yl)pyridine-4-yl]benzoic acid). Furthermore, the compounds’ luminescent performances have also been studied. As a result, compounds 1-2 show intense luminescence at room temperature. The evaluation of their application values against postoperative infectious endophthalmitis (PIE) was implemented and their specific mechanism was investigated. First of all, the real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed and the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κb) signaling pathway activation levels were measured. In addition to this, the inflammatory cytokines content released after the cataract surgery was determined through exploiting the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection kit.