Anaphylactic reaction following intracameral cefuroxime injection during cataract surgery.

We report a patient who developed an anaphylactic reaction several minutes after intracameral injection of cefuroxime at the end of uneventful phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation surgery. The patient had a known allergy to penicillin but not to cefuroxime. This rare life-threatening complication was recognized and immediately treated by the surgeon. The literature on the use of intracameral cefuroxime for endophthalmitis prophylaxis and its risk for anaphylaxis is reviewed. Cataract surgeons should be aware of this potentially fatal complication and be prepared to handle it.