Pseudomonas aeruginosa unilateral endogenous endophthalmitis in a preterm infant: A case report

Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare eye disease, affecting vulnerable subjects (such as preterm or older elderly subjects), with reserved visual and sometimes vital prognosis. We present a preterm boy, born at 35 weeks and 2 days gestation, who developed a right eye Pseudomonas aeruginosa endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to a left-foot peripherical catheter-infection-associated bacteremia. He had a first intravenous antibiotic therapy associating third-generation cephalosporin and fluoroquinolone, then Ceftazidime (R) by intravitreous injection and a subconjunctival injection of betamethasone. Because of the development of vitreoretinal retraction, phacophagia and vitrectomy were performed. We point and discuss the severity of this disease, associated with poor visual and vital prognosis, and the importance of prompt biological diagnosis so that the appropriate intravenous antibiotic therapy is chosen. Treatment is also discussed, especially the interest value of antibiotic intravitreous injection in preterm infants. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.