Objective To evaluate the clinical characteristics of end oscopically guided thorough vitrectomy in managing exogenous endophthalmitis with cloudy cornea. Methods The clinical data of 20 patients (20 eyes) suffered from exogenous endophthalmitis with cloudy cornea and underwent endoscopically guided total vitrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The patients (18 males and 2 females) aged from 5 to 79 years with the average age of 35.9 years. There were 16 post-trauma and 4 post-cataract endophthalmitis. The cornea was cloudy with the visual acuity of not better than counting fingers in all eyes. During the operation, posterior vitreous detachment was induced, vitreous at the base and bands over the ciliary body was removed, and membrane at the anterior or posterior surface of the iris was also removed after lensectomy. The median of the duration of hospita lization to operation was 1.5 days, and the follow-up period was 6～42 months (mean=23 months). Results Positive cultures were obtained in 9 (45%) cases. Seven intraocular foreign bodies were extracted from 6 eyes. Ora serrata was separated at one place in 2 cases, iatrogenic retinal tear at one, two place in 1 case respectively. Vitrectomy and intravitreal injection were underway again in 2 cases respectively after surgery. Ten eyes (50%) retained useful vision (ge;0.05). The visual acuity was decreased, maintained and improved in 1, 3 and 16 eyes, respectively, and 4 cases over than 0.08. Cornea was clear in 11 (55%) eyes after operation; 9 cases with silicon oil in; ocular pressure was slanting low in 2 cases , but more than 5 mm Hg（1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa）; intraocular hypertension in 1 case , controlled by medicine; local and questionable retinal detachment in 1 case respectively, without surgery again. The visual acuity of none of the 9 eyes with silicon oil in was lower than counting fingers, only one eye in 11 eyes without silicon oil in was lower than 0.05 and no eye lost at the end of follow-up. Conclusion Endoscopically guided total vitrectomy is useful, safe and reliable for the management of exogenous endophthalmitis with cloudy cornea in time. （Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2008，24：202-205）