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Sterile endophthalmitis after intravitreal injections
Joaquín Marticorena1, Vito Romano, Francisco Gómez-Ulla
1Retina and Vitreous Unit, Instituto Oftlamológico Gómez-Ulla, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. jmarticorena@gmail.com
Mediators of Inflammation
|September 14, 2012
Summary
Sterile endophthalmitis is a rare complication of intravitreal injections, often linked to off-label drug use. This condition typically presents with sudden vision loss and improves without specific treatment, but requires careful diagnosis to rule out infection.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Diseases
- Ocular Inflammation
Background:
- Sterile endophthalmitis is an infrequent complication following intravitreal injections.
- It is often associated with the off-label use of drugs not intended for intravitreous administration.
- The exact etiology remains uncertain, suggesting a multifactorial origin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the characteristics of sterile endophthalmitis following intravitreal injections.
- To differentiate sterile endophthalmitis from infectious endophthalmitis.
- To highlight the clinical presentation and visual outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Review of cases presenting with sterile endophthalmitis after intravitreal injections.
- Analysis of clinical characteristics, including drug used, onset, and symptoms.
- Assessment of visual acuity and intraocular inflammation progression.
Main Results:
- Sterile endophthalmitis shares features with both intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide and bevacizumab injections.
- Acute, painless vision loss is a hallmark symptom in most cases.
- Dense vitreous opacity is common, with mild to moderate anterior segment inflammation.
Conclusions:
- Sterile endophthalmitis typically resolves spontaneously with progressive improvement in visual acuity.
- Prompt recognition and differentiation from infectious endophthalmitis are crucial.
- Untreated infectious endophthalmitis has a devastating visual prognosis.
