Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A Five-year Review of Cases at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kelantan, Malaysia

Background Endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) is a type of intraocular inflammation secondary to hematogenous spread from a distant infective source within the body and usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. Objectives The aim of this study was to profile the patient characteristics, sources of infection, microbial profiles, and visual outcomes of patients with EE in Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia. Materials and methods Data from 18 eyes of 17 patients diagnosed with EE and admitted to the eye ward of Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital from January 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Factors analyzed included patient age, sources of infection, visual acuity, microbial profiles, and treatment outcomes. Results The mean age of the 17 patients was 53.2 years. Twelve patients (70.6%) had EE of left eye, four (23.5%) had EE of right eye, and one (5.9%) had EE involving both the eyes. Sixteen patients (91.1%) had at least one predisposing condition, the most common of which was diabetes mellitus in 15 patients (88.2%). A source of infection was identified in 12 of the 17 patients, with urinary tract infection being the most common (five patients, 29.4%). Organisms were successfully isolated from 10 (58.8%) patients, including seven (41.2%) with Gram-negative and three (17.6%) with Gram-positive organisms. All patients presented with a visual acuity worse than 6/60. Nine (52.9%) patients underwent vitrectomy, with only two of these patients achieving a final visual acuity better than 6/60. Eleven patients became nonperceptive to light, with four of them undergoing evisceration. Conclusions EE is a rare but often devastating ocular condition. Visual outcomes are often poor especially in patients infected with Gram-negative bacteria.