Post-COVID-19 endogenous endophthalmitis case series and review of literature

PURPOSE

To describe a series of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) patients from a multispecialty tertiary hospital in North India.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review including all consecutive cases with EE following confirmed COVID-19 disease from July 2020 to June 2021.

RESULTS

Seven eyes of four patients (three female and one male) were included. Two patients had confirmed bilateral fungal (Aspergillus sp.) EE and two patients had presumed fungal EE (one bilateral and one unilateral). Three of these four patients received systemic steroids as part of COVID-19 treatment previously. Five eyes were managed with initial intravitreal injection (IVI), followed by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and two eyes were managed with only IVI. All patients received systemic antifungal agents. Intraocular inflammation resolved in all eyes with treatment. One patient of EE also developed voriconazole-induced transient visual hallucination, which resolved on discontinuing the medication.

CONCLUSION

This case series represents a series of EE cases following COVID-19 disease or its sequelae or as a result of prior treatment for COVID-19. Ophthalmologists and physicians must be vigilant about these complications and initiate prompt management at the earliest.

Postoperative Aspergillus Endophthalmitis With Iris Granuloma: A Case Report

This report describes a rare case of a fungal iris granulomatous lesion in a 67-year-old female who underwent cataract surgery in the left eye and, one month later, developed culture-positive postoperative Aspergillus endophthalmitis. On initial presentation in the emergency room, slit-lamp examination of the left eye revealed subconjunctival hemorrhage, 360-degree subconjunctival hemorrhage, mild corneal edema with Descemet's folds, a deep anterior chamber with a fibrinous reaction causing pupillary membrane formation, and an in situ intraocular lens with no view of the fundus. A bright-scan (B-scan) ultrasound revealed mild vitreous opacities with a vitreal membrane, shallow choroidal detachment, and no significant retinal and choroid layer thickening. The patient was admitted into the anterior segment division for anterior chamber (AC) tap culture and AC washout for suspected retained cortical matter removal, intracameral antibiotics (vancomycin and ceftazidime), and IOL explantation in the left eye. The initial aqueous tap culture had no growth. Nine days later, repeat aqueous tap and pupillary membrane cultures were positive for Aspergillus spp. Intravitreal voriconazole was administered along with topical natamycin and amphotericin B eye drops. There was a resolution of the clinical picture, and three weeks later a rebound occurred, for which AC washout, pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), capsulectomy, and intravitreal vancomycin, ceftazidime, and voriconazole were given. A week later, the patient developed a fungal granuloma behind the iris, which was successfully managed with an AC washout, removal of the granuloma, and repeated intravitreal and intracameral voriconazole administration. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) during the last visit was 20/80 in the affected eye, with a plan for a secondary IOL implant. Endophthalmitis is a rare but serious intraocular infection, with fungal endophthalmitis having a lower prevalence than bacterial endophthalmitis, which explains the lack of well-established guidelines for diagnosing and managing exogenous fungal endophthalmitis. This case highlights the rare presentation of post-cataract Aspergillus endophthalmitis with a fungal iris granuloma and demonstrates how the chronicity of this infection, along with surgical manipulation, may accelerate the seeding of these organisms into the anterior chamber structures.

The Unrelenting Non-sporulating Hyphae

A 42-year-old man presented with generalized redness in the left eye and painless blurring of vision for four days. He also had a fever and a large left leg abscess for four days prior to the onset of eye symptoms. Visual acuity of the left eye was hand movement with a positive relative afferent pupillary defect. Conjunctiva was injected with chemosis and mild corneal haziness centrally. There was a presence of whitish fibrin covering the pupil and presence of hypopyon with anterior chamber inflammatory cells. The fundoscopic view was obscured by the presence of fibrin in the pupillary area. B-scan ultrasound showed severe vitritis with multiple loculations. He was treated as left eye endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to left leg abscess. He was given multiple intravitreal antibiotic injections together with intravenous ceftazidime and gutt. moxifloxacin. The vitreous specimen did not yield any growth. Incision and drainage were done for the left leg abscess, and yellowish pus was aspirated with negative culture. Trans-pars plana vitrectomy was performed in view of poor clinical response. However, despite that, his left visual acuity dropped to non-perception of light (NPL). The vitreous specimen taken during vitrectomy finally showed non-sporulating fungal hyphae. He was started on oral fluconazole and topical amphotericin B. His left eye remains as NPL. However, his general eye condition improved.