Purpose: To evaluate our experience with the diagnosis and the treatment of chronic postoperative endophthalmitis. Methods: A retrospective study. Results: The authors present three cases of chronic postoperative endophthalmitis following cataract surgery. Propionibacterium species has been determined as the causative agent in two patients. All patients were men; the mean age was 75 years (from 73 to 78 years). The mean time period from the cataract operation to the onset of intraocular inflammatory signs was 5 months (from 2 to 9 months). Pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal administration of antibiotics and intraocular lens explantation with total capsulectomy were performed. This treatment led to the reduction of the intraocular inflammatory reaction and to the improvement of the visual acuity. Conclusion: The effective treatment of chronic postoperative endophthalmitis caused by Propionibacterium species is a combined operation – intraocular lens explantation with total capsulectomy and pars plana vitrectomy with intravitreal administration of antibiotics.

        Key words: postoperative endophthalmitis, Propionibacterium