Endophthalmitis Caused by Corynebacterium Species: Clinical Features, Antibiotic Susceptibility, and Treatment Outcomes

Purpose To report the clinical features, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, treatment, and visual acuity (VA) outcomes of endophthalmitis caused by Corynebacterium species. Design Retrospective case series. Participants Patients with endophthalmitis caused by Corynebacterium species. Methods Microbiology database records were retrospectively reviewed for all patients with endophthalmitis caused by Corynebacterium species from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2012, at a large university referral center. The corresponding clinical records were then reviewed to evaluate endophthalmitis clinical features and treatment outcomes. Main Outcome Measures Presenting clinical features, visual acuity outcomes, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Results For the 10 patients identified, clinical settings included post–cataract surgery (n = 6), post–penetrating keratoplasty (n = 2), and posttrabeculectomy (n = 2). The mean time from surgical procedure to presentation with endophthalmitis was 6.8 months (range: 1 day to 28 months). All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. Presenting VA ranged from 7/200 to no light perception. Initial treatment strategies were vitreous tap and intravitreal antibiotic injection (n = 5) and pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal antibiotic injection (n = 5). VA outcomes were ≥20/60 in 5 of 10 patients (50%) and ≤20/400 in 5 of 10 patients (50%). Conclusions The most common clinical setting was post–cataract surgery. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin. Despite prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics, visual outcomes varied.