In 1979-85, 12 cases of purulent postoperative endophthalmitis (PPE) were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, corticosteroids and vitreous surgery. In 11 eyes endophthalmitis developed after cataract surgery, in 6 of them after an intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, in one eye after trabeculectomy. Signs related to an intraocular infection appeared 2 to 32 days after surgery, earlier in eyes with an IOL or post-operative complications than in those without. All 5 eyes where vitrectomy was performed within 24 h from the beginning of symptoms retained useful vision (0.1-0.6), whereas 2 of the 7 eyes where vitrectomy was performed later were lost. In the latter two the causative agent was streptococcus. No IOL implants were removed.