"Cytomegalovirus Retinitis"

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

"Cytomegalovirus Retinitis"

Journal of the American Medical Association (12/15/89) Vol. 262, No. 23, P. 3337
To, King, and Friedman, Alan H.

Abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is the most common cause of blindness among people with HIV infections, according to King To of Lenox Hill Hospital and Alan H. Friedman of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. CMV retinitis clinically manifests itself in white granular lesions with or without associated retinal hemorrhages. Focal areas of infarction of the nerve fiber layers, or cotton-wool spots, are the most common ophthalmic manifestations of the condition. The spread of the infection often follows the retinal vasculature. The virus can destroy all layers of the retina. Ganciclovir and foscarnet, each of which has side effects, are the only two treatments shown effective in treating CMV retinitis. Because most people with AIDS carry CMV, early clinical diagnosis of CMV retinitis and prompt treatment is the best way to reduce or prevent the significant and permanent visual loss often associated with the condition, To and Friedman note.

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