Bilateral visual loss in a patient with endocarditis

Exogenous endophthalmitis, which is more common than endogenous endophthalmitis, arises as a complication of eye surgery, periocular infections, and trauma.1 Endogenous endophthalmitis is the result of haematogeneous dissemination of a systemic infection, such as endocarditis, pneumonia, and soft ti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Lancet (British edition) 2013-12, Vol.382 (9909), p.2038-2038
Main Authors: Brownlee, Wallace J, Dr, Playle, Veronica M, MBChB, Gaskin, Jennifer C Fan, MBChB, Anderson, Neil E, FRACP
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Blindness - microbiology
Cardiology. Vascular system
Endocardial and cardiac valvular diseases
Endocarditis, Bacterial
Endophthalmitis - microbiology
Eye
Eye Infections, Bacterial - complications
Female
General aspects
Heart
Humans
Infections
Internal Medicine
Medical sciences
Ophthalmology
Patients
Streptococcal Infections
Streptococcus agalactiae
Ultrasonic imaging
Vision disorders
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Summary:Exogenous endophthalmitis, which is more common than endogenous endophthalmitis, arises as a complication of eye surgery, periocular infections, and trauma.1 Endogenous endophthalmitis is the result of haematogeneous dissemination of a systemic infection, such as endocarditis, pneumonia, and soft tissue infections, to the eye.1Staphylococcus aureus and streptococci are the most commonly implicated organisms.1,2 Fungal endophthalmitis is an important metastatic complication of candidaemia in immunosuppressed patients.1 The diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis requires a high degree of suspicion. Vitrectomy or enucleation may be required after failure of medical therapy.2 The visual outcome is poor, with 80% of patients left with a visual acuity of light perception or worse in the affected eye.1,2 Endogenous endophthalmitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acute visual loss, particularly in the context of a known or suspected systemic infection.
ISSN:0140-6736
1474-547X
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62156-X