Materials and Methods: 39 eyes of 39 patients diagnosed as acute postoperative endophthalmitis, with visual acuities (VA) of light perception or higher, were evaluated between July 2001 and February 2003. Mean age was 60,64±20,1 (15- 85) years. Diagnosis of endophthalmitis was made by antibiotic evaluation, All the patients were hospitalized and intravenous and topical antibiotic treatment was administered. 13 patients with less severe clinical presentation undenwent early vitrectomy and intravitreal antibiotic injection, 26 patients with less severe clinical presentation had intravitreal antibiotic injection without vitrectomy, 8 patients, who were unresponsive to intravitreal antibiotic injection in 24-48 hours, underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and repeated intravitreal antibiotic injection. Vitreous samples were obtained from all patients and inoculated in haemoculture medium for transport before intravitreal antibiotic injection

Results: Intravitreal antibiotic injection alone was effective in 60,7% of the cases with better clinical presentation, For the remaining 39,3 % of the eyes in this group PPV was needed. 1 of 39 (2,5 %) eyes lost light perception and were enucleated, Retinal detachment developed in 5 eyes (12,8%) and repeated pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil injection was performed. Median VA which was hand motions preoperatıvely, increased to 20/60 at the end of the follow-up period, In patients whose symptom durations were Ionger than 4 days, chances of obtaining a VA betler than 20/200 were significantly lower (p=0.05). in 22 eyes (56,5%) causative microorganism(s) could have been isolated.

Conclusion: In postoperative endophthalmitis intravitreal antibiotic injection or primary PPV with intravitreal antibiotic injection should be made on urgent basis depending on the severity of the clinical presentation to salvage vision. When the duration between the beginning of the symptoms and the treatment gets shorter the chances for success increases. Keywords : Postoperative endophthalmitis, pars plana vitrectomy, intravitreal antibiotic injection