Bacterial and Fungal Endophthalmitis After Penetrating Keratoplasty

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9394(14)73580-9Get rights and content

We analyzed 1,010 consecutive penetrating keratoplasties to determine the incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis, the frequency of positive donor rim cultures, and whether a correlation between these two factors exists. There were three cases of bacterial endophthalmitis, all caused by streptococci, and one case of Candida albicans endophthalmitis. In all cases except one case of streptococcal endophthalmitis, the same organism was cultured from the donor rim.

We cultured 138 organisms from 128 of 932 donor rims (14%). A remarkable percentage of gram-positive organisms were resistant to gentamicin, the only antibiotic contained in corneal storage media. On the basis of our data and previously published data, we believe that donor material is frequently the source of microorganisms in endophthalmitis after penetrating keratoplasty.

References (36)

  • H.F. Allen et al.

    Bacterial endophthalmitis after cataract extraction. II. Incidence in 36,000 consecutive cataract operations with special reference to preoperative topical antibiotics

    Arch. Ophthalmol.

    (1974)
  • J.L. Baum

    Current concepts in ophthalmology. Ocular infections

    N. Engl. J. Med.

    (1978)
  • M. LeFrancois et al.

    Flavobacterium endophthalmitis following keratoplasty. Use of a tissue culture medium-stored cornea

    Arch. Ophthalmol.

    (1976)
  • E.L. Shaw et al.

    Pneumococcal endophthalmitis following grafting of corneal tissue from a (cadaver) kidney donor

    Ann. Ophthalmol.

    (1977)
  • P.A. Larsen et al.

    Torulopsis glabrata endophthalmitis after keratoplasty with an organ-cultured cornea

    Arch. Ophthalmol.

    (1978)
  • B.E. Beyt et al.

    Cryptococcal endophthalmitis after corneal transplantation

    N. Engl. J. Med.

    (1978)
  • G.N. Rao et al.

    Cephalosporium endophthalmitis following penetrating keratoplasty

    Ophthalmic Surg.

    (1979)
  • G.J. Pardos et al.

    Microbial contamination of donor eyes. A retrospective study

    Arch. Ophthalmol.

    (1982)
  • Cited by (0)

    This study was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health departmental core grant P30EY06360 and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York.

    Reprint requests to R. Doyle Stulting, M.D., Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1327 Clifton Rd. N.E., Atlanta, GA 30322.

    View full text