Pars plana vitrectomy with or without silicone oil endotamponade in post-traumatic endophthalmitis

Results of core vitrectomy in post-traumatic endophthalmitis are poor. Our initial results of complete vitrectomy with primary silicone oil endotamponade were promising. A comparative study of this procedure with conventional core vitrectomy was therefore carried out.

A prospective randomized controlled study of 24 consecutive cases of post-traumatic endophthalmitis was conducted. Patients were randomized into two groups in the absence of clinical improvement after primary tap and treatment with intravitreal vancomycin and amikacin: group 1 consisted of patients who underwent core vitrectomy alone, group 2 of patients who underwent complete vitrectomy with silicone oil endotamponade. All patients included in the study received intravenous antibiotics and underwent lensectomy. Patients were followed up 1, 2, 4 and 12 weeks postoperatively. In all patients of group 2, silicone oil was removed 6 weeks after primary surgery. The mean duration of follow-up was 112+/-55 days.

Vision of 20/400 or better was obtained in 58.33% of cases (14/24). Visual acuity of only one patient in group 1 was >or=20/200, compared with that of 58.3% of patients (7/12) in group 2 ( P=0.02). Intra-operative retinal breaks were found in 50% (6/12) of the patients belonging to group 1, but did not affect the final visual outcome. In group 1, 33.33% (4/12) developed rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in the immediate post-operative period. Only one of these patients had useful final visual outcome after resurgery.

Complete vitrectomy with primary silicone oil endotamponade is a useful treatment modality which improves the anatomical and functional results in post-traumatic endophthalmitis.