Severe intraocular inflammation related to cataract surgery is collectively called endophthalmitis. It is mainly caused by bacterial infection, but sterile inflammation (TASS) can also occur. It is broadly classified by onset time as follows.
Prioritize detailed examination; emergency surgery not required
Acute type follows a fulminant course and does not heal without invasive procedures. Delayed-onset type often presents as chronic anterior uveitis over months to years, primarily involving C. acnes sequestered within the lens capsule forming biofilms and proliferating.
Note that late-onset infection after glaucomafiltration surgery (bleb-related endophthalmitis) differs in that Gram-negative bacilli are also causative and acute onset is more common; therefore, it is distinguished from the scope of this article.
The incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery is currently low, approximately 0.04–0.1%. The US IRIS Registry (2013–2017) reported 0.04%, and a large meta-analysis reported an overall rate of 0.066%1, 2). The introduction of intracameral antibiotics has been shown to further reduce the incidence2, 6, 11, 13).
Most cases of acute postoperative endophthalmitis occur within 1 week after surgery; therefore, severe eye pain and rapid vision loss in the early postoperative period require urgent evaluation3).
Frequency data for delayed-onset endophthalmitis alone are limited, but the incidence of non-infectious chronic inflammation (PUPPI: Prolonged Undifferentiated Postoperative Pseudophakic Iridocyclitis) has been estimated at 1.68% of cataract surgery patients in a large study4), highlighting the magnitude of the problem of chronic postoperative inflammation, both infectious and non-infectious.
The most common route is bacteria attached to the IOL being brought into the eye. Contamination can also occur through wound contact during injector insertion.
Postoperative infection
In the early postoperative period when wound closure is insufficient, bacteria on the ocular surface may reflux into the anterior chamber due to intraocular-extracular pressure differences.
The patient’s own eyelid margin and conjunctival normal flora are the main sources of infection 3). Clear corneal incisions have a weaker valve structure than scleral tunnel incisions, making postoperative reflux more likely 3).
Cutibacterium acnes: The most representative causative organism of late-onset type. Anaerobic gram-positive bacillus, normal flora of skin and conjunctival sac. Forms biofilm and proliferates within the lens capsule, causing onset months to years after surgery. Difficult to detect because it localizes to the IOL haptic and folds of the posterior capsule.
Staphylococcus epidermidis: Low-virulence gram-positive coccus, also a major causative organism in postoperative endophthalmitis overall5)
A large-scale epidemiological study using the IRIS Registry (7,513,604 patients) identified risk factors associated with chronic inflammation after cataract surgery4).
Discharge and eyelid swelling (characteristic of infectious endophthalmitis, usually not seen in TASS)
Progression of clinical findings:
Early to intermediate findings
Anterior chamber inflammation (cells and flare): Appears from the earliest stage. Progresses within hours.
Fibrin exudation: Protein exudation in the anterior chamber. Progresses to hypopyon.
Hypopyon: Characteristic finding of infectious endophthalmitis. White layered pus accumulates at the bottom of the anterior chamber.
Ciliary injection: Becomes clear along with eye pain in the hypopyon stage.
Corneal edema: Often localized (in contrast to diffuse limbus-to-limbus edema in TASS).
Advanced to severe findings
Vitreous opacity: Makes fundus visualization difficult. It is an indicator of rapid deterioration, and after vitreous seeding, it does not heal without invasive procedures.
Retinal hemorrhage, infiltration, necrosis: Leads to irreversible visual dysfunction.
Eyelid swelling and discharge: Characteristic of infectious endophthalmitis and an important distinguishing feature from TASS.
Progression to panophthalmitis: Higher risk with Gram-negative bacilli (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Streptococcus species.
Ocular pain is often mild due to low-virulence organisms
Discharge and eyelid swelling are less prominent than in the acute type
Characteristic clinical findings:
White plaque on the posterior lens capsule (IOL): Characteristic of C. acnes infection. A biofilm-like white deposit localized on the IOL surface or posterior capsule, frequently seen in delayed-onset endophthalmitis due to C. acnes.
When late-onset bilateral ocular inflammation occurs, endogenous uveitis is likely, so a thorough examination is necessary. If symptoms develop long after surgery and are bilateral, sympathetic ophthalmia should also be considered in the differential diagnosis.
Definitive diagnosis is made by identifying the causative organism. Although the identification rate is not necessarily high, it is essential for selecting sensitive antibiotics and differentiating from sterile endophthalmitis, and must always be performed.
QWhat is the probability of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery?
A
In modern times, it is approximately 0.04–0.05% (1 in 2,000–2,500 cases). Some reports indicate that using intracameral antibiotics (e.g., cefuroxime 1 mg/0.1 mL) reduces the rate to 0.02%. The ESCRS multicenter RCT showed that the risk of endophthalmitis was reduced by about fivefold in the intracameral cefuroxime group.
QIf my eye hurts the day after cataract surgery, is it endophthalmitis?
A
Mild pain and redness the day after surgery are often normal postoperative reactions. However, if there is severe eye pain, rapid vision loss, or hypopyon, endophthalmitis should be suspected and emergency evaluation is necessary. Infectious endophthalmitis often presents with severe eye pain 3–7 days after surgery, while TASS typically occurs 12–48 hours postoperatively with mild pain.
QCan endophthalmitis occur more than a year after cataract surgery?
A
C. acnes can form biofilms within the lens capsule and remain dormant, so cases developing several years after surgery have been reported. If persistent anterior chamber inflammation is observed long after surgery, delayed-onset endophthalmitis should be considered. Identifying a white plaque on the posterior surface of the IOL with a slit lamp is a diagnostic clue.
Inflammatory reaction due to retained cortical or nuclear fragments after surgery. Confirmed by posterior segment observation.
QHow do you differentiate endophthalmitis from TASS?
A
Important differentiating points include time of onset (TASS: 12–48 hours, acute endophthalmitis: 3–7 days), degree of eye pain (TASS: mild, endophthalmitis: severe), and presence of eyelid swelling. Corneal edema pattern is also helpful (TASS: diffuse limbus-to-limbus, endophthalmitis: localized). If differentiation is difficult, cultures should be obtained and antibiotics and steroids started simultaneously.
QWhat is the difference between late-onset endophthalmitis and PUPPI?
A
Delayed-onset endophthalmitis is caused by bacterial infections such as C. acnes, whereas PUPPI is a chronic iridocyclitis of unknown cause diagnosed after excluding infection, IOL dislocation, and retained lens fragments. Since both conditions are clinically similar, anaerobic culture and PCR testing of aqueous humor and vitreous fluid are necessary for differentiation. Because treatment strategies differ (infectious: antibiotics + surgery; non-infectious: steroid therapy), accurate differentiation is important.
The EVS is an important RCT that established treatment guidelines for postoperative endophthalmitis8).
Visual acuity of hand motion (HM) or better → vitreous tap + intravitreal antibiotic injection
Visual acuity of light perception (LP) or worse → pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) + intravitreal antibiotic injection results in significantly better outcomes
Systemic antibiotics (amikacin + ceftazidime): No significant additional benefit in the EVS8)
Delayed-onset type does not require emergency vitrectomy. This is an important difference from acute type. First, perform a thorough examination to rule out TASS and endogenous uveitis as much as possible, then determine the treatment strategy stepwise while monitoring the course.
Step
Indication
Treatment
Step 1: Examination and differential diagnosis
All cases
Vitreous fluid collection → anaerobic culture and PCR; rule out TASS and endogenous uveitis
Step 2: Conservative treatment
Mild or first episode
Antibiotic eye drops + steroid eye drops; observe for improvement
Step 3: Vitrectomy
Worsening or recurrent cases
Vitrectomy + intravitreal vancomycin and ceftazidime
Step 4: IOL removal + total capsulectomy
Re-recurrence or confirmed C. acnes cases
Complete removal is the last resort because recurrence occurs if the capsule is left
Medications for conservative treatment (Step 2):
Levofloxacin ophthalmic solution (Cravit 1.5%): 6 times daily
Cefmenoxime ophthalmic solution (Bestron ophthalmic 0.5%): 6 times daily
Betamethasone ophthalmic solution (Rinderon 0.1%): 6 times daily (anti-inflammatory)
Vitrectomy removes vitreous opacity and collects specimens from the capsule for bacterial testing
IOL removal and total capsulectomy (Step 4):
Delayed-onset endophthalmitis caused by C. acnes has a high risk of recurrence if the IOL and lens capsule are preserved. In cases of re-recurrence or confirmed C. acnes, IOL removal and total capsulectomy are necessary. After IOL removal, consider visual correction with sutured IOL or scleral-fixated IOL.
QIs surgery mandatory for the treatment of delayed-onset endophthalmitis?
A
In mild, first-episode cases, conservative treatment with antibiotic and steroid eye drops may improve the condition. However, in cases of worsening or recurrence, vitrectomy is necessary. For C. acnes, preserving the IOL and lens capsule can lead to recurrence, so ultimately IOL removal and total capsulectomy may be required.
In acute cases, early vitrectomy improves visual prognosis. The EVS showed that early PPV significantly improved visual outcomes in cases with light perception or worse vision 8). Enterococcus and Gram-negative rods (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa) progress rapidly and have poor prognosis. Whether the IOL can be preserved depends on the severity of inflammation. Recurrent cases require removal of the IOL and lens capsule.
Delayed-onset cases have a better prognosis than acute cases, but in C. acnes infections, if biofilm remains in the lens capsule, recurrence is frequent. Biofilm is composed of a polysaccharide matrix produced by C. acnes, which hinders antibiotic penetration. This explains the difficulty in detection by culture and resistance to treatment (risk of recurrence), and why complete removal of the lens capsule is ultimately necessary.
Cefuroxime 1 mg/0.1 mL: ESCRS multicenter RCT (16,603 eyes) showed a 4.92-fold increase in endophthalmitis risk without use 6). Meta-analysis: OR 0.26 (95% CI 0.15–0.45) 11). Approved formulation (Aprokam) available in Europe
Moxifloxacin: Meta-analysis: OR 0.29 (95% CI 0.15–0.56) 12). Reported to reduce baseline endophthalmitis rate from 0.07% to 0.02% 3)
Intracameral vancomycin: Associated with hemorrhagic occlusive retinal vasculitis (HORV); routine prophylactic use is strongly discouraged 3, 11)
Large network meta-analysis shows that intracameral antibiotics significantly reduce postoperative endophthalmitis risk, with prophylactic efficacy demonstrated for cefuroxime, moxifloxacin, etc. 2, 13)
Adding topical antibiotics to intracameral antibiotics has not consistently shown further reduction in endophthalmitis incidence 9, 11, 14, 15)
Standard doses are not considered to cause significant adverse effects on corneal endothelium, but overdose has been reported to cause corneal edema and decreased endothelial cell density 16, 17)
IOL insertion using an injector (to avoid contact with the ocular surface)
Confirm wound closure at the end of surgery, and finish with intraocular pressure of approximately 20 mmHg or higher by infusion fluid injection
Adding antibiotics to infusion fluid: prophylactic effect not proven
Pre- and postoperative topical antibiotic eye drops: reported to reduce ocular surface bacterial load, but evidence for directly lowering endophthalmitis incidence is not as strong as for intracameral administration 3, 9, 18, 19). Caution regarding selection of resistant bacteria with long-term or repeated use 18)
Standardization of intracameral antibiotics: Cefuroxime has an approved formulation (Aprokam) in Europe, but is not approved in the US or Japan. Cases have been reported where dilution errors in hospital-prepared formulations cause severe toxicity 3)
Drop-free chemoprophylaxis: Some reports indicate that regimens using only intracameral antibiotics have no difference in infection rates compared to groups with combined eye drops 3, 15). However, prospective comparative trials are limited, and selection based on patient risk and wound condition is necessary.
HORV (Hemorrhagic Occlusive Retinal Vasculitis): A delayed-onset ocular toxicity occurring after intracameral administration of vancomycin. The mechanism is unknown. Cases are being collected in the ASCRS/ASRS joint registry 3)
Antibiotic resistance trends: An increase in fluoroquinolone-resistant CNS has been reported worldwide, prompting consideration of revisions to prophylactic regimens.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS): Analysis of the intraocular microbiome is expected to improve diagnostic rates for culture-negative chronic endophthalmitis4)
New routes of administration: Transzonular and pars plana intravitreal antibiotic administration are being investigated, but large-scale RCTs are lacking 3)
For details on prevention strategies, refer to the separate article “Infection Prevention in Cataract Surgery.”
QAre there ways to prevent endophthalmitis after cataract surgery?
A
Preoperative povidone-iodine disinfection and intracameral antibiotic administration (e.g., cefuroxime 1 mg/0.1 mL) at the end of surgery are the most evidence-based preventive methods. The ESCRS multicenter RCT showed that intracameral cefuroxime reduced the risk of endophthalmitis by about fivefold. Vancomycin is not recommended for routine prophylaxis due to the risk of hemorrhagic occlusive retinal vasculitis (HORV).
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