Endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis. Report of two cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare complication of gram-negative sepsis. The diagnosis often is delayed unless a high index of suspicion exists. Familiarity with the clinical setting in which endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis occurs will hasten diagnosis and may improve outcome.

METHODS

The authors reviewed the medical literature and describe two patients with diabetes who lost vision from endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis.

FINDINGS: One patient lost all vision in both eyes before the diagnosis of sepsis was clinically suspected. In the other, endophthalmitis was the only clinical sign of septicemia 8 days after hospital discharge for treatment of a Klebsiella urinary tract infection. Survey of the literature showed an increase in the number of cases of endogenous Klebsiella endophthalmitis reported over the last 12 years. Sixty-one percent of the 44 patients reported in the literature since 1981 had diabetes, 68% had suppurative liver disease, and 16% had urinary tract infection.

CONCLUSION

An important implication of these associations is that metastatic Klebsiella endophthalmitis must be considered when vitritis occurs in patients with diabetes, particularly in those with acute liver disease or a urinary tract infection, or in any patient with vitritis and suppurative liver disease.