Endophthalmitis is a serious medical condition which affects the eyeball. It usually involves inflammation (swelling) within the eye. There are several procedures or practices that increases the risk of exogenous or endogenous endophthalmitis.
History Of Endophthalmitis
Fungal Endophthalmitis: The incubation period can vary from days to weeks. Symptoms include pain, blurred vision and decreased visual acuity. Soil contaminated foreign particle or contact with a plant substance can also elicit endophthalmitis.
Bacterial Endophthalmitis: It usually manifests itself acutely with redness, pain, decreased visual acuity and lid swelling. Some bacteria like Propionibacterium acnes may cause severe form of inflammation. It is a part of the skin flora and it invades the eye at the time of intraocular surgery.
History of ocular trauma, ocular surgery, working with a balling wire or hammering steel with steel may also cause endophthalmitis.Patients suffering from candidal infection may have high fever followed by ocular symptoms after several days.
Symptoms Of Endophthalmitis:
- visual loss
- headache
- visual symptoms in patient taking immuno supressive drugs
- eye pain and irritation
- ocular discharge
- injected eye
- photophobia
- intense periocular and ocular inflammation
Physical Signs Of Endophtalmitis
A complete eye check up should be performed which should include slit lamp examination, acuity, funduscopic examination and external examination. It is highly recommended to refer an ophthalmologist for further examination if chronic endophthalmitis is suspected. Some physical signs of this eye ailment are mentioned below:
- injected sclera and conjunctiva
- vitreitis
- eyelid erythema and swelling
- hypopyon (pus accumulation in the anterior chamber and layering of inflammatory cells)
- papillitis
- corneal edema/infection
- reduced/absent red reflex of eye
- cotton wool spots
- proptosis (late diagnosis in panophtalmitis)
- vitreal mass and debris
- white lesions in the retina and choroid
- purulent discharge
