title: Spectral domain optical coherence tomography in patients after successful management of postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery by pars plana vitrectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute severe postoperative endophthalmitis may lead to severe vision loss. The aim of this study was the analysis of macular microstructure imaged by spectral domain optical coherence tomography in patients after pars plana vitrectomy due to postcataract endophthalmitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was carried out in 17 patients who had cataract surgery in both eyes and underwent unilateral pars plana vitrectomy due to postcataract endophthalmitis. Postoperative best corrected visual acuity was determined in both eyes. Evaluation of macular thickness, macular volume, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and choroidal thickness using enhanced depth imaging technique was performed by spectral domain optical coherence tomography. The measurements obtained in the operated eye were compared to the fellow eye by Wilcoxon matched pair test. Correlation test was performed by Spearman rank order.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mean postoperative best corrected visual acuity of 63 ± 30 ETDRS letters versus 75 ± 21 letters was achieved in the study and fellow eyes, respectively, after a mean of 5.3 ± 4.5 months (p = 0.1). The mean macular thickness was 320.6 ± 28.8 μm SD in the study eyes compared to 318.4 ± 18.8 μm in the fellow eyes (p = 0.767). No differences were noted in macular volume (p = 0.97) and in peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (p = 0.31). Choroidal thickness was significantly lower in the study eyes compared to the fellow eyes (p = 0.018). Epiretinal membrane was found in 7 eyes after endophthalmitis, while in the fellow eyes only in 3 cases (p = 0.13, Fisher's exact test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Choroidal thickness decreased significantly after endophthalmitis, but there was no functional correlation with the changes in choroidal microstructure. The development of epiretinal membranes may be associated with either vitrectomy or endophthalmitis in the history. Absence of other significant structural and morphological findings shows that successful treatment may guarantee good clinical results even in long term after this severe postoperative complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. ottomaneschg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Otto Alexander
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Maneschg
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volek
authors.forename: János
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Németh
authors.forename: Gábor Márk
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Somfai
authors.forename: Zsuzsanna
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Géhl
authors.forename: Irén
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Szalai
authors.forename: Miklós Dénes
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Resch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000379:methods*