Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection Leads to a Poor Visual Outcome in Endogenous Endophthalmitis: A 12-year Experience in Southern Taiwan.

PURPOSE: To compare the characteristics, visual outcome, and prognostic factors of patients with endogenous endophthalmitis and to determine the association of endophthalmitis with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed records of patients diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis from January 2002 to August 2013.

RESULTS

A total of 86 patients were diagnosed with endogenous endophthalmitis; 48 patients were infected with K. pneumoniae, 28 patients were infected with other pathogens, and 10 were culture-negative. Diabetes mellitus was more prevalent among patients infected with K. pneumoniae. Liver abscess and urinary tract infection were the leading sources of infection in patients with and without a K. pneumoniae infection, respectively. In patients with endogenous endophthalmitis, poor initial vision (p<0.001) and K. pneumoniae infection (p = 0.048) were significantly associated with a poor visual outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor initial vision and K. pneumoniae infection were significantly associated with poorer visual outcome for patients with endogenous endophthalmitis.