title: Natural history of untreated cytomegalovirus retinitis.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus infection is common in patients with AIDS, and often causes retinitis. Treatment is rarely curative, but the progression of retinitis is delayed. The untreated course of cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS is unknown. We report a 35-year-old man with retinitis who refused treatment. Retinitis resulted in blindness within 6 months. Measurement of cytomegalovirus genomes showed an increasing viral load in blood and urine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, Hampstead, London, UK.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madge
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Emery
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology