Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2025
07:24
Intravitreal Injection and Quantitation of Infection Parameters in a Mouse Model of Bacterial Endophthalmitis
Published on: February 6, 2021
11.6K
Infectious Endophthalmitis vs Noninfectious "Pseudohypopyon" After Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide
Stephen G Schwartz1, Harry W Flynn2, William E Smiddy2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Naples, FL, USA.
Journal of Vitreoretinal Diseases
|April 3, 2023
Summary
A patient developed vision loss and pseudohypopyon after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection. Prompt antibiotic treatment resolved inflammation, highlighting the challenge in differentiating infectious from noninfectious causes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retina Specialist
Background:
- Cystoid macular edema is a common cause of visual impairment.
- Intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) is frequently used to treat inflammatory eye conditions.
Observation:
- A 73-year-old woman experienced sudden, painless vision loss and a shifting hypopyon after her 13th IVTA injection.
- The hypopyon was determined to be noninfectious ('pseudohypopyon') based on its mobility with head tilt.
Findings:
- Despite initial suspicion of infectious endophthalmitis, cultures after vitreous tap and antibiotic injection were negative.
- The patient's vision improved to 20/40 following treatment, indicating resolution of inflammation.
Implications:
- Differentiating between infectious endophthalmitis and noninfectious inflammation post-IVTA injection can be clinically challenging.
- Close patient monitoring and clinical judgment are crucial in managing such cases, as definitive diagnostic techniques are lacking.
