title: Laboratory diagnosis of infectious endophthalmitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the lab diagnosis and etiology of infectious endophthalmitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical and microbial records of 36 patients diagnosed with infectious endophthalmitis and 8 patients diagnosed with intraocular lens (IOL)-related inflammation between Nov. 1999 and Dec. 2009 were retrospectively reviewed for lab diagnosis and etiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The inflammatory cell counts in all aqueous humor specimens from infectious endophthalmitis patients were more than in all aqueous humor specimens from patients with IOL-related inflammation. Sixteen of the 36 aqueous humor samples (44.4%) and 11 of the 24 vitreous humor samples (45.8%) from infectious endophthalmitis patients showed positive results in smears; while 17 aqueous humor samples (47.2%) and 15 vitreous humor samples (62.5%) from infectious endophthalmitis patients showed positive results in culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inflammatory cell count may be an important index for infectious endophthalmitis; while, smears can show etiological information earlier.
authors.affiliation: Eye Centre, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jiang
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shao-Zhen
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Zhao