Clinical profile of patients with endophthalmitis: A 16- year retrospective, cross-sectional study at tertiary care hospital in Western Saudi Arabia.

Aim: This study aimed to profile the clinical features and demographics of patients with endophthalmitis in a tertiary care center, Western region, Saudi Arabia. We used a retrospective cross-sectional case series at King Abdulaziz University Hospital. Materials and Methods: Endophthalmitis was diagnosed in a total of 14 eyes of 14 patients treated in our hospital between 2002 and 2018. The patients' medical records were reviewed to gather demographic and clinical data. Results: The mean age of patients was 52.8 ± 19.2 years, and 50% of patients were male. The majority of endophthalmitis cases were post-ophthalmic surgery (50%), 35.7% were of endogenous origin, 7.2% were associated with corneal ulcer with perforation, and 7.2% were post open globe injury. Patients' admission to the hospital ranged from 2 to 10 days from symptoms occurrence with a median of 5 days. Half of the patients presented with no light perception vision, counting fingers in 14.2%, hand motion in 14.2%, light perception in 7.2%, and 20/300 in 7.2%. The final visual outcome improved in four cases (28.5%) with best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 reached in one patient. Conclusion: Post- ophthalmic surgery and endogenous endophthalmitis were the most common causes of endophthalmitis among our patients, with late presentation to the hospital and poor vision at presentation also being common findings. These findings highlight the necessity of proper patient education, after care and adherence to sterile techniques in ensuring that patients recover successfully from ophthalmic surgery.