AIM: To study the cause of endophthalmitis and the effect of vitrectomy on endophthalmitis.

METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed records of 16 cases(16 eyes)of endophthalmitis from January 2010 to December 2012, 13 males, 3 females. The patients' ages ranged from 42 to 82 years old(mean 60 years). Five patients received evisceration therapy, all the other patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy.

RESULTS: Endophthalmitis was diagnosed as resulting from eye injuries in 8 eyes, endogenous endophthalmitis in 2 eyes, cataract surgery in 2 eyes, glaucoma surgery in 2 eyes, keratitis in 1 eye, hypermature stage cataract phacoanathylactic endophthalmitis in 1 eye. The postoperative visual acuities of 8 patients increased in various degrees. Six patients(55%)were out of blindness(visual acuity >0.05).

CONCLUSION: Eye injury is the most common cause of endophthalmitis, and vitrectomy can recover the visual function of the patients to different levels.