Endogenous Endophthalmitis in COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series and Literature Review

Purpose: To report outcomes in cases of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) following COVID-19 infection.Material and methods: In a retrospective study, patients with EE, who had a recent history of COVID-19 infection requiring hospital admission were recruited. Necessary demographic details, details of ocular examination, and microbiological details were collected.Results: Six patients (10 eyes), with a mean age of 48 + 19.80 years were included. The mean duration of onset of ocular symptoms from the time of diagnosis of COVID was 28.16 + 16.15 days. 8 eyes required surgical intervention, whereas 2 eyes were managed conservatively. Three patients were positive for Candida albicans, two patients were positive for Aspergillus fumigatus, and one patient was a presumed bacterial EE. The majority of the eyes had favorable functional and anatomical outcomes during the post-operative period.Conclusion: High-dose corticosteroid therapy in the management of moderate and severe COVID-19 infection may be associated with EE, predominantly fungal.