Endophthalmitis in the Tertiary Referral Center in Iran; Etiology and Causative Organisms

Background: Endophthalmitis is a severe and sight-threatening complication of ocular surgery or ocular trauma. The identification of common types and causative organisms is essential for prevention and management. Objective: The current study describes the prevalence of various types of endophthalmitis and the causative microbiological spectrum of each type treated in the Tertiary Referral Center in Iran. Methods: All cases of endophthalmitis admitted to the Emergency Department of Farabi Eye hospital (Tehran, Iran) between July 2013 and December 2014 were included in this study. The patients’ demographic data, type of endophthalmitis, aqueous or vitreous culture results, and treatment methods were recorded. Results: From 108 presumed endophthalmitis cases, post-operative endophthalmitis (68.5%) was the most frequent type followed by post-traumatic (25%), bleb-associated (4.6%), and endogenous (1.9%) types. Streptococcus viridians (37.5%) was the most common isolated organism in post-operative cases. In post-traumatic endophthalmitis patients, the most frequent causative organism was Staphylococcus epidermidis (70%). Conclusion: Many studies from other countries have reported that S. epidermidis is the leading cause of endophthalmitis after either intraocular surgeries or open-globe injuries, but the current study has shown that S. viridians is the most common isolated organism in post-operative endophthalmitis.