[Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis]. / Endogene Candida-Endophthalmitis.

Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis is a rare but vision-threatening disease. In most cases, endogenous endophthalmitis caused by Candida species has a better prognosis than endogenous endophthalmitis caused by other fungal species or bacteria but the prognosis still depends heavily on the time required for diagnosis and subsequent treatment as well as the initial visual acuity. Suggestions for treatment algorithms have already been made in the past but binding guidelines in ophthalmology only exist sporadically due to the rarity of the disease. This review discusses the current knowledge on endogenous Candida endophthalmitis and draws conclusions from the current study situation.

[Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis: diagnostics and treatment options based on case studies]. / Endogene Candida-Endophthalmitis: Diagnostik und Therapieoptionen anhand von Fallbeispielen.

BACKGROUND: Endogenous Candida endophthalmitis is an emergency that can threaten vision and the eye as a whole organ but also the life of the patient due to its systemic cause. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective case evaluation of the University Hospital for Ophthalmology Halle (Saale) and the Eye Clinic of the Ernst von Bergmann Hospital Potsdam from 2017-2022. (Age, gender, side involvement, underlying diseases, symptoms, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, diagnostics, treatment and complications). The standardized procedures for endogenous Candida endophthalmitis are explained, the data are compared with the literature and treatment suggestions are presented. RESULTS: 8 patients with 14 eyes were treated for endogenous Candida endophthalmitis. Of the patients 2 were women and 6 were men. The overall average age was 70.25 years (53-82 years), 6 patients had bilateral eye involvement and 2 patients were affected on one side. All patients had several serious immunocompromising underlying diseases that were the cause of the candidemia. All patients underwent a pars plana vitrectomy (ppV) on the affected eyes except for one male patient who did not obtain permission for anesthesia. In addition to systemic treatment with antimycotics, voriconazole was routinely administered intravitreally during ppV. The patients received further intravitreal doses of voriconazole based on the findings. Vitreous body samples were taken from all patients during the ppV and detection of Candida albicans was possible in all cases. As part of the local perioperative treatment 1 patient received parabulbar administration of a triamcinolone depot in both eyes, 7 patients received a dexamethasone depot in 11 eyes and all 8 patients received findings-oriented local treatment with prednisolone acetate eye drops. visual acuity increased from preoperatively 1.2 logMar to 1.0 logMar. Postoperative retinal detachment did not occur and there were no serious perioperative complications. 2 patients died from one of the underlying diseases after 3 and 25 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Despite an increasing number of case series, there are still no uniform guidelines for ophthalmologists in Germany. There is agreement regarding systemic treatment and the intravitreal administration of antifungal agents. The role of ppV has not yet been clearly defined and the question of the adjuvant use of steroids (systemic and/or local) has also not been conclusively clarified.