Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis. Visual outcome following noninvasive therapy.

Staphylococcus epidermidis has been reported with increasing frequency as a cause of bacterial endophthalmitis. Over the past eight years 18 consecutive postsurgical cases have been treated by combined antibiotic-corticosteroid therapy without intravitreal antibiotics or vitrectomy. Fourteen (78%) achieved a final visual acuity of 20/50 or better. When these cases were added to similarly reported cases in the literature, 72% achieved this level of vision. By contrast, 42% of adequately documented cases in the literature treated by intravitreal antibiotics, and 42% treated additionally by vitrectomy, achieved a vision of 20/50 or better. S. epidermidis is an organism with a low order of virulence. The use of intravitreal antibiotics and vitrectomy do not appear to be necessary for effective treatment.