[Diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis by nested-PCR in comparison with routin microbiological culture]

ABSTRACT

To ascertain whether the use of nested-PCR [nested polymerase chain reation] technique leads to more rapid and accurate diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis. The aqueous humor and vitreous samples of 24 eyes of 24 patients with bacterial endophthalmitis were evaluated by microscopy, diagnostic aerobic culture, and Nested-PCR to detect the infectious agent. Aerobic cultures of the aqueous humor and the vitreous were positive in 1 eye [4%] and 6 eyes [25%], respectively. Using Nested-PCR, an infectious agent was detected in the aqueous humor of 14 eyes [58%] and in the vitreous of 17 eyes [70%]. Nested-PCR for eubacterial genome showed 100% correlation with bacteriologically positive specimens. Eubacterial genome was detected in 11 of 18 bacteriologically negative cultures of the vitreous. Nested-PCR on aqueous humor and vitreous samples is a powerful and reliable tool for the diagnosis of bacterial endophthalmitis particularly in smear and culture negative specimens