Purpose: The authors compare the intravitreal efficacy of ciprofloxacin, vancomycin and imipenem, in treating experimental Bacillus cereus endophthalmitis.
Methods: Thirty-three Yorkshire pigs received a surgically induced injury to the right eye, which was then repaired and injected with 8400 colony forming units of live B. cereus. Nine pigs received no therapy and served as a natural history group. Twenty-four other pigs then were randomized into a treatment group with ciprofloxacin (n = 6), vancomycin (n = 6), imipenem (n = 6), or normal saline (n = 6). Eyes were examined clinically 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after inoculation. After 24 hours, the eyes were enucleated for histologic study.
Results: Experimental disease was characterized by an aggressively developing endophthalmitis, with retinitis and vitritis developing at 4 hours. Histologic examination showed vitreous abscess and retinal necrosis. Both vancomycin- and imipenem-treated group had less inflammation and tissue destruction than control animals, based on the Wilcoxon rank sum test (P < 0.05). Ciprofloxacin-treated animals showed significantly more intraocular destruction and were indistinguishable from controls.
Conclusion: Vancomycin and imipenem appear to limit inflammation and tissue destruction when given early in the course of experimental posttraumatic endophthalmitis caused by B. cereus. Results with ciprofloxacin are less conclusive and warrant further investigation.