[Post operative Enterococcus faecalis endophthalmitis: three case report]

We report three cases of endophthalmitis following cataract extraction. Enterococcus faecalis was the causative organism in all of them. Initial visual acuity was only light perception in all cases, final visual acuity was negative light perception in two cases, and light perception in one case. After initial improvement, inflammation was exacerbated in one patient and evisceration realized. The capsular bag was examined using scanning electron microscopy and it was shown that enterococci were adherent to the capsular bag, four months after the onset of the infection. Enterococcus faecalis can be the causative agent both of an acute and a chronic form of post operative endophthalmitis. Experimental studies on rabbit eyes could explain the poor prognosis of these endophtalmitis and focused on bacterial toxins. The contamination appears to be post operative, because Enterococcus faecalis is not a commensal agent of the conjunctiva. So we have to inform our patients about some hygienic habits, to prevent from this devastating complication of cataract surgery.