Men and women were eligible for entry into the EVS if they had clinical signs and symptoms of bacterial endophthalmitis in an eye that had cataract surgery or lens implantation within 6 weeks of onset of infection. The involved eye had to have either hypopyon or enough clouding of anterior chamber or vitreous media to obscure clear visualization of second-order arterioles, a cornea and anterior chamber in the involved eye clear enough to visualize some part of the iris, and a cornea clear enough to allow the possibility of pars plana vitrectomy. The eyes had to have a visual acuity of 20/50 or worse and light perception or better.