Endophthalmitis

Definition | Symptoms |  Treatment |  Clinic Information

Definition
Endophthalmitis is the term used by medical eye doctors (ophthalmologists) to describe an inflammation of tissues inside the eye.This inflammation can be caused by bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus species, Gram-negative bacteria) or fungi ( e.g., Candida Aspergilla), and rarely by viruses ( e.g., Herpes Simplex or Herpes Zoster) or protozoa ( e.g., Acanthomoeba, Toxplasafi). This is a rare complication of any eye surgery.

Symptoms

• Decreased vision
• Pain
• Redness, especially after eye surgery
• Blurred vision

The symptoms described above may not necessarily mean that you have endophthalmitis. However, if you experience one or more of these symptoms, contact your eye doctor for a complete exam.

Treatment
Treatment may include such things as vitrectomy, intraocular antibiotics and intraocular anti-inflammatory agents. Even with such aggressive treatment, it is still difficult to preserve useful vision.

Clinic Information
For more information, see the Neuro-Ophthalmology Clinic and the complete Clinic Services listing of the U-M Kellogg Eye Center.