Acute endophthalmitis caused by leuconostoc spp. following intravitreal bevacizumab injection

Abstract

We present a case of acute endophthalmitis caused by Leuconostoc spp. following intravitreal bevacizumab injection. An 86-year-old immunocompetent female developed acute endophthalmitis after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The patient presented with pain, visual acuity of hand motions, hypopyon, and dense vitritis 96 h after treatment. She was treated with vitreous and anterior chamber tap followed by intravitreal injections of 1 mg vancomycin, 2.25 mg ceftazidime, and 400 μg dexamethasone. Cultures revealed growth of Leuconostoc spp., a genus of gram-positive bacteria that is inherently resistant to vancomycin. Due to persistent inflammation, pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with intravitreal injection of 0.4 mg amikacin was performed 16 days later, followed by resolution of endophthalmitis and return of vision to 20/40. In conclusion, the management of acute endophthalmitis caused by Leuconostoc spp., a gram-positive coccobacillus, can be particularly challenging due to its inherent resistance to vancomycin. PPV with intravitreal amikacin led to resolution of endophthalmitis. Our case expands the number of cases of endophthalmitis caused by Leuconostoc spp. and highlights the possibility of Leuconostoc-related endophthalmitis in an outpatient setting in an immunocompetent host.