Clinical Factors and Outcomes of Acute-Onset Endophthalmitis Following Small-Gauge Pars Plana Vitrectomy Surgery

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Describe risk fac-tors, findings, and outcomes of acute endophthal-mitis (AE) following small-gauge pars plana vitrec-tomy (PPV). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center, nonrandomized study of post-PPV AE patients from 2013 to 2021. All received vitre-ous biopsy before treatment. Patients were divided into cohorts: 1) PPV within 3 days of diagnosis (Ur-gent-PPV), and 2) no urgent PPV (Other-treatment [Tx]). Main outcome was best-corrected visual acu-ity (BCVA) at 6 months. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were analyzed. Epiretinal membrane was the most common indica-tion for PPV (48%). Incidence was 0.074%. Culture -positive rate was 57%. For final BCVA, there was no significant (P = 0.85) difference between Urgent-PPV (median = 0.40 logMAR) and Other Tx cohorts (median = 0.35 logMAR). Sclerotomy wounds were not sutured in 71% of patients. Approximately 24% and 38% of patients analyzed had either no tam-ponade or partial tamponade, respectively. CONCLUSION: Tamponade agents and sclerotomy suturing may be important factors when evaluating post-small-gauge PPV-associated AE. Further stud-ies are necessary for clarification.