[Infectious endophthalmitis after cataract extraction, a serious complication].

Cataract extraction with lens implantation is the most used surgical procedure worldwide and is relatively safe. Nevertheless, this procedure carries the risk for infectious complications, since a foreign body is implanted in the eye to which bacteria that may cause endophthalmitis can adhere. Acute postoperative endophthalmitis is a potentially devastating disease that prompts immediate recognition and therapy, whereas chronic postoperative endophthalmitis is a low virulent, long-lasting infection that is hard to diagnose and for which the choice of treatment should be weighed carefully. We present 2 cases that illustrate both types of endophthalmitis. Before the decision to perform a cataract extraction is taken, the risk of infectious complications has to be considered in the light of the expected visual acuity gained by the procedure.