Endophthalmitis Following Exposure of a Haptic After Sutureless Intrascleral Intraocular Lens Fixation

Abstract

An 88-year-old woman who had undergone sutureless intrascleral fixation of the intraocular lens (IOL) 3 years previously was seen at an eye clinic because of ocular pain and loss of vision 2 days prior to this visit. She was diagnosed with endophthalmitis and referred to our hospital. At her first presentation here, the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.01 in the left eye, and conjunctival hyperemia and hypopyon were apparent. A haptic was exposed outside the conjunctiva at the nasal upper quadrant, with a white substance around the haptic. The fundus was not visible. We diagnosed endophthalmitis. That same day, we performed vitrectomy and IOL removal, immediately followed by intravitreal injection of antibiotic. The inflammation resolved gradually, and at the 1-year follow-up her BCVA had recovered to 0.6. Patients should receive careful, long-term follow-up after sutureless intrascleral IOL fixation.