Endogenous Endophthalmitis: Has the Opioid Crisis Impacted the Rates and Severity of Intravenous Drug-Related Cases?

Abstract

Purpose: Endogenous endophthalmitis is an intraocular infection associated with systemic illness and/or intravenous drug use (IVDU). Rising national rates of IVDU may have impacted rates and outcomes of endogenous endophthalmitis. The purpose of the current study is to compare rates and treatment outcomes in endogenous endophthalmitis with and without a history of IVDU. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective consecutive case series of 21 eyes of 17 patients with a diagnosis of endogenous endophthalmitis from May 2014 to December 2016. Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes were compared between IVDU and non-IVDU groups. Results: A history of IVDU was present in 3 of 17 patients (18%), whereas the other 82% had systemic comorbidities. There was no statistically significant difference in presenting visual acuity (VA) between the IVDU and non-IVDU groups (20/630 vs 20/500, P = .75). Pars plana vitrectomy was performed at some point in the clinical course of 80% of eyes (4/5) in the IVDU group and 56% of eyes (9/16) in the non-IVDU group. Staphylococcus or Candida were the predominant causative organisms isolated in the IVDU and non-IVDU groups. Statistical analyses revealed trends towards worse last VA in the non-IVDU group compared with the IVDU group (20/1000 vs 20/110, P = .10). Conclusions: Compared with historical data from the same institution, there has not been an increase in the rates of IVDU-associated endogenous endophthalmitis at this tertiary referral center. VA outcomes are often poor in both groups, but there may be a better prognosis for IVDU-associated endogenous endophthalmitis.