Sterile uveitis and intraocular lens implantation.

Cases of sterile hypopyon following intraocular lens implantation, accumulated over a 4 1/2-year period, were subjected to critical clinical review and analysis. In approximately two-thirds of the cases, the anterior chamber cleared within three to four weeks without significant sequelae. The remaining cases followed a chronic or recurrent course. Recurrent anterior segment reaction appears to be a definite indication for early implant removal. The final visual results in this group of cases were less than satisfactory, suggesting that the appearance of sterile hypopyon after implant surgery is an ominous clinical sign which may prelude secondary membrane formation, chronic cystoid maculopathy, or even phthisis. The etiology of sterile hypopyon remains vague.