title: Visual prognosis of AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis.
abstract: A prospective study of visual acuity (VA) was performed in a cohort of 147 AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR). Patients were treated according to standard regimes, and corrected VA was recorded at regular intervals from presentation until death. Follow-up was 6 weeks to 5 years (mean 30 weeks). Fifty patients (34%) had bilateral CMVR at initial presentation; at death 81 patients (55%) had bilateral disease. Thirty-one eyes initially uninfected developed CMVR during follow-up. Of 228 infected eyes, VA at presentation was 6/12 or better in 182 eyes (80%) and 6/60 or better in 215 eyes (94%) At death, VA was 6/12 or better in 112 eyes (49%) and 6/60 or better in 171 eyes (75%). VA in the better eye at death was 6/12 or better in 113 of 147 patients (77%), 6/24 or better in 135 patients (92%) and worse than 6/60 in only 7 patients (5%). Treatment of AIDS-related CMVR minimises loss of vision and may protect previously uninfected eyes, prolonging visual independence.
authors.affiliation: The Western Eye Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sandy
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Migdal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stanbury
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015774:Ganciclovir