Novel options in diagnosis and treatment of endophthalmitis

AbstractEndophthalmitis remains the most vision‐threatening condition that in most severe cases can result in a loss of an eye and systemic spreading of the infection. It is defined as an acute inflammation of the inner tissues of the eyeball and is usually caused by intraocular contamination and colonization of infectious agents with exudation within intraocular space. The development of endophthalmitis as well as its clinical presentation and functional and anatomical outcomes is predefined by its type, kind of infection and therapy applied. There is a risk of progression of endophthalmitis to panophthalmitis, which could end up with evisceration or enucleation. The involvement of the general physician and other medical specialists into the treatment of the patients with endophthalmitis shall be always considered and should not be underestimated. As one of the most severe emergencies in ophthalmology, this condition requires urgent therapeutical or/and surgical intervention. Numerous studies compare the efficacy of the first line treatment for different types of endophthalmitis. Since decades the management of endophthalmitis is based on prompt recognition of infectious agents, immediate intraocular antimicrobial therapy and removal of the purulent exudate form the eye. Novel diagnostic options for endophthalmitis shall be considered in order to increase the precision of to treat patients with endophthalmitis. Improvement of the surgical techniques with the development of the new less traumatic instruments and he novel antimicrobial drugs can stablish a new standards of endophthalmitis care.