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Bacterial, fungal scleritis may be uncommon after anterior segment surgery
Cornea. 2011;30(9):1020-1023.
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Bacterial or fungal scleritis may be rare after anterior segment procedures and may be associated with a high rate of treatment success, a study suggested.
The retrospective, interventional case series evaluated 349 patients with scleritis. Of these, six (1.7%) demonstrated suppurative inflammation of the anterior sclera. Two had Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and two had Streptococcus pneumoniae. Staphylococcus aureus and Scedosporium apiospermum/Pseudallescheria boydii were present in one patient each.
All affected eyes underwent ocular surgery before presentation, and according to the study authors, this data combined with recent case reports suggests that pterygium excision may be the most common predisposing procedure. After local and systemic antimicrobial therapy, all eyes improved without evisceration or enucleation. Four of the patients attained 20/60 or better vision.
"Antimicrobial agents, judicious surgical intervention and prudent anti-inflammatory treatment offer the opportunity to control the inflammatory complications of infections affecting the sclera," the study authors wrote.