Anterior Segment
Endophthalmitis
Also known as: endophthalmitis, post operative endophthalmitis, post-op infection eye, post-injection endophthalmitis, intravitreal injection infection, hypopyon after cataract surgery, painful red eye after surgery
Filed as: Emergency
Source-cited from the record's own evidence list. Clinical content programme led by Dr Ankit Mathur, PhD, Grad Cert Ocu Thera, B.S. Optom. How the clinical content is governed
Clinical decision support only
Overview
Infection inside the eye, most often after cataract surgery, an intravitreal injection or penetrating trauma, presenting with falling vision and a marked anterior chamber reaction. Pain and hypopyon are common but neither is required, and their absence after an injection does not lower the concern. Any postoperative eye that deteriorates rather than improves is referred as an emergency, because sight is lost within hours.
Recognition
Symptoms: what patients report
- Recent intraocular surgery, intravitreal injection, or penetrating ocular procedure followed by worsening symptoms.
- Marked pain and photophobia — common, but pain can be absent, especially after intravitreal injection or in atypical presentations.
- Significant reduction in vision.
- Marked redness or deep aching postoperative eye.
Signs: what the examination shows
- Severe anterior chamber reaction.
- Hypopyon may be present.
- Marked conjunctival or ciliary injection.
- Vision is often significantly reduced compared with expected recovery.
What OptoGuide™ covers for endophthalmitis
- Pattern reasoning: what this combination of findings points to, and its differentiators
- Don't-miss risks and escalation triggers
- Management tiers with linked Australian therapeutics
- Referral urgency, specialty, and letter drafting
Sources
Standard texts: Kanski's Clinical Ophthalmology: A Systematic Approach, The Wills Eye Manual, Oxford Handbook of Ophthalmology, Oxford American Handbook of Ophthalmology, Signs in Ophthalmology: Causes & Differential Diagnosis.