Development of Retinal Infarct Due to Intracameral Cefuroxime Injection Following Complicated Cataract Surgery

Abstract

We present the case of a 60-year-old patient who underwent a complicated cataract surgery with cefuroxime injection (1 mg/0.1 mL) into the anterior chamber at the end of surgery. The patient presented to our hospital due to decrease in visual acuity (VA) after surgery. VA was counting fingers (CF) from 4 meters. There was extensive retinal hemorrhages and edema in addition to retinal vascular leakage detected with fluorescein angiography (FA). After negative microbiologic tests, the patient was treated with intravenous pulse and oral corticosteroids. Rheumatologic investigation was also negative. At month 5, VA was CF from 1 meter in addition to disseminated capillary loss in FA and optic nerve atrophy despite corticosteroid treatment. The patient developed retinal infarction due to cefuroxime injection following a complicated cataract surgery. Surgeons and surgical staff should be aware of the possibility of retinal toxicity while using cefuroxime, particularly in complicated cases.

Keywords

• Intracameral cefuroxime
• retinal toxicity
• retinal infarct