Purpose: We investigated potential risk factors for visual prognosis in Japanese patients with exogenous endophthalmitis.
Methods: In this retrospective observational multicenter cohort study, risk factors for legal blindness at 12 weeks after treatment initiation were evaluated based on patient characteristics, initial BCVA, causative events, pathogens, ocular symptoms, duration from symptom onset to initial treatment, and selected treatments.
Results: Overall, 23.1% of eyes developed legal blindness. The six risk factors for legal blindness were presence of eye pain, pathogen identification, poor BCVA at the initial visit, longer duration from symptom onset to initial treatment, type of causative event, and type of causative pathogen. Regarding the type of causative pathogen, coagulase-negative staphylococci was associated with a better visual impairment outcome.
Conclusion: Exogenous endophthalmitis remains a severe ocular infection; however, it can be managed with rapid treatment, as well as other advances in medical knowledge and technology.
Keywords: Endophthalmitis; exogenous endophthalmitis; retrospective study; visual acuity; vitrectomy.