Posttraumatic endophthalmitis.

Nineteen consecutive cases of culture-proved posttraumatic endophthalmitis occurred. Over an eight-year period, 19 (7.4%) of 257 patients with penetrating trauma had endophthalmitis develop, and 19 (31.1%) of 61 cases of endophthalmitis were due to trauma. Eleven (10.7%) of 103 patients with intraocular foreign bodies had endophthalmitis develop. Final visual acuity was 20/200 or better in eight (42.1%) of 19 and 20/30 or better in five (26.3%) of 19 cases of posttraumatic endophthalmitis. Organisms cultured were similar to those in the other types of endophthalmitis, except that Bacillus species were seen only in posttraumatic endophthalmitis (five [26.3%] of 19). Virulent organisms or retinal breaks or detachments seen at the time of primary repair indicated poor prognoses.