Bilateral endogenous endophthalmitis due to pseudomonas aeruginosa in a neonate.
BACKGROUND
Bacterial eye infections are rare in the neonatal population and usually come from exogenous spread. Eye infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, although uncommon, may be a devastating disease, especially in premature infants.


METHODS
Retrospective review of the clinical chart of a 10-day-old newborn baby with bilateral endogenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa endophthalmitis.


RESULTS
The patient presented with leukokoria in both eyes 7 days after the onset of severe septicemia due to endophthalmitis in both eyes. The baby received systemic treatment with meropenem and vancomycin, which the cultured bacteria were susceptible to, but the infection progressed. Intravitreal ceftazidime treatment and later vitrectomy could not prevent complete retina detachment and the progressive evolution to phthisis.


CONCLUSIONS
Aggressive therapy including systemic antibiotics, intravitreous antibiotic injection, and vitrectomy could not prevent a poor outcome leading to retinal detachment and blindness in both eyes. A discussion of the treatment options and a review of the literature are also included.
From *Rio Hortega University Hospital, Valladolid, Spain; †Sant Juan de Déu Hospital, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; and ‡Institut Català de Retina, Barcelona, Spain.
Hortensia
H
Sanchez-Tocino
M Rosa
MR
Sanabria
Jaume
J
Catala-Mora
Ignasi
I
Jürgens
Carmen
C
Gonzalez-Armengod
M Fernanda
MF
Omaña-Alonso