Silicone oil tamponade in managing recalcitrant endophthalmitis after cataract surgery secondary to Clostridium intestinale.

A woman presented two weeks after uncomplicated cataract surgery with decreased visual acuity from endophthalmitis. One week after initial management with intravitreal antibiotics, her visual acuity decreased further, undergoing pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal and intravenous antimicrobial coverage with preliminary improvement. Three days after vitrectomy, her vision decreased with recurrent inflammation. Initial cultures grew Clostridium intestinale She underwent repeat vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade with no subsequent recurrence. The silicone oil was removed after 4 months and her visual acuity returned to 20/20 after 1 month and through 1 year of follow-up. Postoperative endophthalmitis is rare, with cases due to Clostridium species particularly destructive. In this first reported case of C. intestinale endophthalmitis, conventional management did not achieve lasting quiescence until silicone oil tamponade was employed. Pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade should be considered in the management of recurrent endophthalmitis or endophthalmitis secondary to a recalcitrant microbe.

The Utility of Postoperative Computed Tomography Imaging Following Isolated Orbital Blowout Fracture Repair.

PURPOSE: To determine the clinical utility of computed tomography (CT) imaging following isolated orbital blowout fracture (OBF) repair. METHODS: Single-center retrospective review of adult patients undergoing surgical repair of isolated OBFs between November 2008 and August 2016 who received postoperative CT scans. Preoperative and postoperative examination data, postoperative imaging reads, postoperative courses, and any reoperation documentation were collected from electronic medical records. Postoperative imaging findings were categorized as major, indeterminate, or minor by predicted impact on clinical management. Major findings indicated a need for reoperation, indeterminate a potential reoperation, and minor no reoperation. RESULTS: Fifty-two cases met inclusion criteria: 94.2% (n = 49) of postoperative scans included minor findings, 34.6% (n = 18) indeterminate findings, and 19.2% (n = 10) major findings. Three patients returned to the operating room (OR) for surgical revision. All 3 had a significant and concerning change on postoperative examination. Only 1 also had a major finding on postoperative imaging. The remaining 49 patients had benign postoperative examinations, despite 9 (17.3%) with major imaging findings who did not undergo reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: In the majority of OBF repairs, postoperative CT scan findings were not predictive of a need to return to the OR for revision. Reoperation was instead largely prompted by concerning changes in the postoperative clinical examination. Our findings suggest that postoperative imaging in the absence of clinical concern should not be included in the surgical management of isolated OBFs. Instead, targeted imaging will help reduce radiation exposure and health-care costs without sacrificing patient care.