title: Treatment of clinically resistant cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients: combination of intravenous ganciclovir and intravitreal foscarnet.
abstract: The treatment of clinically resistant cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients requires a combination of foscarnet and ganciclovir, but the poor clinical condition of some patients may weigh against this intravenous regimen. We treated three patients with high-dose intravitreal foscarnet (2400 micrograms/0.1 ml; 25 injections; mean follow-up 14.6 weeks) combined with intravenous ganciclovir (5 mg/kg twice daily), and obtained complete control of the retinitis in a mean time of 3.4 weeks with no ocular or systemic side effects and no other eye/organ cytomegalovirus dissemination. This combined therapy seems useful for clinically resistant cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients.
authors.affiliation: Ocular Immunovirology Service, University of Roma La Sapienza, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pivetti-Pezzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Accorinti
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ciapparoni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vullo
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D017245:Foscarnet / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D012173:Retinitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D014822:Vitreous Body
chemical_list: D017245:Foscarnet; D015774:Ganciclovir