Purpose: To determine ultrasonographic findings in patients with clinical diagnosis of endophthalmitis, a severe purulent inflammatory reaction confined to the interior of the eye. Methods: Ultrasound examination was performed (10MHz transducer, UltraScan® ALCON), during the period of 1997 to 1999. Results: We analyzed 25 eyes with a clinical diagnosis of endophthalmitis (23 exogenous, 2 endogenous). Twelve (12/23) were post-surgery (7 post-cataract surgery, 4 post-glaucoma surgery and 1 post-keratoplasty). Six followed penetrating trauma and 4 were after corneal ulcer. One patient had corneal suture and cataract surgery after penetrating trauma. Two of them presented low-reflectivity echoes, similar to the normal vitreous, and endophthalmitis was ruled out at that time. Twenty-three cases presented (at different degrees) vitreous involvement with low-mobility dense membranes, vitreous organization and vitreous cavitation. Diffuse choroidal thickening (12 cases), choroidal and/or retinal detachment (8 and 5 cases) and orbital abscess (1 case) were found. Conclusions: Ultrasound examination is important to help in clinical suspected endophthalmitis in order to determine the involvement of the posterior segment.
Endophthalmitis; Eye infections; Ultrasonics
