Septic lens implantation syndrome

By Emma Scurrell

This is the globe from a 3-year-old male DSH that suffered a penetrating cat claw injury to the cornea of the right eye.

Fig 1. The globe has been sectioned in half. Suppurative exudate disrupts the anterior cortical and equatorial lens cortex (red arrows) and similar suppurative exudate is present in the dependent drainage angle (blue arrow).

Fig 2. This is a section of the lens in which the lens cortex is infiltrated by neutrophils and colonies of bacteria (H&E section, x400). The anterior lens capsule is ruptured (not shown).

Final Diagnosis

Lens rupture associated with septic suppurative phakitis

Discussion

Penetrating corneal injuries in dogs and cats are fairly common and a proportion of these can involve the lens resulting in lens capsule rupture, cataract and subsequent lens-induced uveitis due to a leakage of lens protein into the eye. In the case of a cat claw injury for example, bacteria (and sometimes fungi) will typically be implanted into the lens resulting in a septic suppurative phakitis (inflammation of the lens) and associated endophthalmitis. This is known as septic lens implantation syndrome and carries a poor prognosis for the eye