Horse to human: Streptococcus equi septicemia presenting as endogenous endophthalmitis.

Purpose: To present a rarely reported systemic infection with streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (streptococcus equi), transmitted from a horse, and to describe successful treatment when complicated by endogenous endophthalmitis. Observations: We diagnosed suspected streptococcus equi septicemia presenting as loss of vision in the right eye of an otherwise healthy polo player/horse trainer. He received immediate intravenous antibiotics and three vitrectomies with two intravitreal antibiotic injections during the first week, to cure infection and subsequent retinal detachment. Blood and initial vitreous cultures rapidly grew streptococcus equi. The septicemia was quickly controlled by systemic antibiotics without developing commonly seen and often fatal meningitis. The right eye recovered 20/30 visual acuity three months post infection. Conclusions: Presentation of this rare septicemia as endogenous endophthalmitis illustrates the potentially lifesaving role of early diagnosis by the ophthalmologist. Immediate and recurrent vitrectomy in conjunction with intravitreal and systemic antibiotic therapy resulted in recovery of near normal vision, whereas less timely and interventional treatments have failed heretofore.

Stickler Syndrome (SS): Laser Prophylaxis for Retinal Detachment (Modified Ora Secunda Cerclage, OSC/SS).

PURPOSE: To introduce a novel technique of encircling laser prophylaxis (ora secunda cerclage Stickler syndrome, OSC/SS) to prevent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in Stickler syndrome eyes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After first eye RRD at age 50 and at age 18, respectively, a 53-year-old father and his 22-year-old son with type 2 SS (STL2) gave informed consent and underwent OSC/SS prophylaxis, performed in each fellow eye. A 26-year-old STL2 daughter then suffered first eye retinal detachment and similarly chose fellow eye OSC/SS prophylaxis. A second son, 28 years of age with STL2, chose OSC/SS prophylaxis in both eyes. RESULTS: The three OSC/SS treated fellow eyes have gone 12 years, 11 years, and 8 years without RRD. STL1 and less common STL2 eyes are known to have a similar rate of RRD, and 80% of STL1 fellow eyes develop RRD at a median of 4 years in the absence of prophylaxis. Moreover, five of six (83%) known STL2 family members suffered RRD, only the STL2 son with bilateral OSC/SS remaining bilaterally attached. All five OSC/SS treated eyes (average 8.7 years post-prophylaxis) retained preoperative visual acuity of 20/20 to 20/30, with an average, asymptomatic reduction of meridional field in each eye to 50 degrees. In contrast, in the three eyes having suffered RRD prior to presentation, visual acuity ranged from 20/125 to 8/200 and average meridional field was 29 degrees. CONCLUSION: Encircling grid laser (OSC) modified in Stickler eyes to encompass the ora serrata and extend posteriorly to and between the vortex vein ampullae (OSC/SS) is a reasonable RRD prophylaxis option to offer STL1 and STL2 patients as an alternative to no treatment or less effective prophylaxis. Because of rarity and severity, the ultimate proof of safety and efficacy will likely come not from randomized trials, but from a non-randomized, prospective, cohort comparison study of such individual efforts.

NECROSIS OF THE RETINA AND UVEAL TRACT SECONDARY TO EXPANDING GAS TAMPONADE.

PURPOSE: To present a case of retinal and uveal necrosis caused by expanding gas tamponade after pars plana vitrectomy. METHODS: Single case report. RESULTS: An otherwise healthy 66-year-old woman underwent pars plana vitrectomy with intended 20% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tamponade for macular hole repair of her pseudophakic left eye. She developed intractable nausea, emesis and increasing left eye pain in association with gas expanded to totally fill the left eye, just hours after surgery. Extremely elevated intraocular pressure was lowered with a successful paracentesis but recurred within a few hours. She then underwent vitrectomy evacuation of all vitreous cavity gas, reformation of the anterior chamber, and silicone oil placement, normalizing intraocular pressure. Three weeks later, the left eye had no light perception, and devitalization of the retina, choroid, and iris was evident. CONCLUSION: We present a case of blindness and intraocular tissue dissolution/disorganization after vitrectomy with intended 20% SF6. To our knowledge, this is the most detailed report of the under-recognized complication of expanding gas tamponade. Institutions hosting vitrectomy surgery should consider enacting a formal "Time Out" that requires all team members to witness accurate fractionation of potentially expansile gas. In the event of acute postoperative glaucoma in such eyes, a single small volume paracentesis cannot be relied upon to protect against continued gas expansion.

Complete and Early Vitrectomy for Endophthalmitis After Cataract Surgery: An Alternative Treatment Paradigm.

PURPOSE: In this study, we report the treatment outcomes of complete and early vitrectomy for endophthalmitis (CEVE) after cataract surgery as the predominate initial treatment, accompanied by systemic antibiotics and retreatment of persistent or recurrent purulence (CEVE+). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical features and microbiological factors were retrospectively reviewed in 62 eyes of 62 patients who were treated for acute postcataract endophthalmitis (APCE) occurring within three weeks of cataract surgery at Retina Specialists of Alabama, between 2007 and 2017. RESULTS: Visual acuity on presentation included light perception (LP) in 18 eyes (29%) and hand motion (HM) in 23 eyes (37%). Initial treatment was maximum possible vitrectomy in 48 eyes (77%) and tap-and-inject in 14 eyes (23%), with 38 eyes (61%) receiving two or more treatments. Cultures for the first intervention were positive in 49 eyes (79%) and virulent in 18 eyes (29%). At a median follow-up time of five months, final visual acuity was ≥20/40 in 49 eyes (79%), between 20/50 and 5/200 in seven eyes (11%), and <5/200 in six eyes (10%). Virulence was the strongest predictor of poor visual outcome. Retinal detachment occurred in four eyes (6%), likely from necrotic retinal defects in each case. CONCLUSION: Complete and early vitrectomy is a safe and effective initial treatment for APCE. When accompanied by systemic antibiotics and retreatment (CEVE+) of recurrent media opacification, it improves recovery of 20/40 or better visual acuity by approximately 50% compared to a predominantly tap-and-inject treatment paradigm. We recommend CEVE for fundus-obscuring APCE (~75% of all cases) whenever the view is inadequate to rule out macular distress.

Presumed air by vitrectomy embolisation (PAVE) a potentially fatal syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Since first being reported in the ophthalmology literature in 2010, three cases (one fatal) of suspected venous air embolism (VAE) during vitrectomy have received little notice, and the vitrectomy/VAE connection has been described as unproven. We investigated the ability of air to exit the eye through vortex veins after accidental suprachoroidal air infusion. METHODS: Vitrectomy was performed on four donor eyes. Unsutured cannulas were partially withdrawn during air fluid exchange, producing choroidal detachments that emulated accidental suprachoroidal air infusion from a slipping cannula. Eyes with and without clamping of the vortex vein stumps were partially submerged in a water bath. RESULTS: Extensive choroidal detachment was created in all eyes during air infusion. All eyes with open vortex veins demonstrated rapid air extravasation/bubbling. An eye with clamped vortex vein stumps showed no air extravasation until the clamps were removed. CONCLUSIONS: When combined with existing clinical reports of suspected VAE in the eyes of living patients during ocular air fluid exchange, this experiment justifies recognition of presumed air by vitrectomy embolisation (PAVE) as a rare but potentially fatal vitrectomy complication. Simple surgical precautions can change PAVE from a 'rare event' to a 'never event', beginning with acknowledgment of its existence.