Failure to control AIDS-related CMV-retinitis with intravenous ganciclovir.
Between January 1988 and May 1991 intravenous ganciclovir (GCV) treatment was administered to eight male AIDS-patients with unilateral cytomegalovirus (CMV)-retinitis. Despite of continuous therapy with at least the recommended dose of GCV, three patients developed slowly progressive CMV-retinitis in the fellow eye after 4 to 13 months. The progression could not be stopped by GCV and thus bilateral blindness resulted after 12 to 22 months. The number of CD4-lymphocytes in the blood was reduced in all patients, but particularly in patients with progressive disease. Treatment failure was partly related to the duration of CMV-retinitis and partly to the degree of immunodeficiency. Intravenous treatment with GCV alone can not stop the progression of CMV-retinitis in long-term survivors and in those with advanced immunodeficiency.
University Eye Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
W
W
Bernauer
P
P
Meyer
W
W
Zimmerli
B
B
Daicker
S
S
Ruettimann
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012173:Retinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017211:Treatment Failure
D015774:Ganciclovir