Managing post-cataract surgery endophthalmitis without performing microbial cultures results in similar visual outcomes to cases managed with cultures and may reduce the incidence of secondary retinal detachments, according to a study.
The retrospective, single-center comparative cohort study evaluated 232 cases of endophthalmitis following cataract surgery. Cases were divided into 2 groups: a “culture group” (n = 196 eyes) where vitreous or aqueous specimens were sent for microbiologic sampling, and a “no culture group” (n = 36 eyes) where specimens were not sent for sampling.
The study found no significant difference in visual acuity (VA) at presentation between the groups, with the culture group having a mean logMAR VA of 2.14 (20/2760) and the no culture group having a mean logMAR VA of 1.93 (20/1702). At the 12-month follow-up, the culture group had a mean logMAR VA of 0.80 (20/126) compared to 0.41 (20/50) in the no culture group, a difference that was not statistically significant (P = 0.076).
The incidence of retinal detachment was higher in the culture group, with 10% of eyes developing secondary retinal detachments within 12 months, compared to none in the no culture group (P = 0.045).
Reference
Samuelson AG, Patel SN, Kommareddy K, Momenaei B, Yu-Chuan Kang E, Chaudhary V, Hsu J, Dunn JP, Vander JF, Garg SJ. Outcomes of Post-Cataract Surgery Endophthalmitis Managed Without Microbial Cultures. Ophthalmol Retina. 2024;S2468-6530(24)00338-5. doi: 10.1016/j.oret.2024.07.015. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39038541.
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