Successful treatment with combination of systemic antiviral drugs and intravitreal ganciclovir injections in the management of severe necrotizing herpetic retinitis.
OBJECTIVE
To report the use of intravenous (IV) antiviral agents and intravitreal ganciclovir injections in three immunocompetent patients with severe acute retinal necrosis (ARN).


METHODS
Case series.


RESULTS
Three immunocompetent patients, who had lost vision in the first eye due to ARN, received intensive treatment with IV foscarnet or acyclovir or ganciclovir and intravitreal ganciclovir injections for the treatment of severe ARN involving the fellow eye. The retinitis resolved and final visual acuity of the fellow eye improved to 20/20 in all three cases after a mean follow-up of 17 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Intensive treatment with a combination of two intravenous antiviral drugs and intravitreal ganciclovir injections was successful in the management of patients with acyclovir-resistant ARN and monocular status.
Chau Tran
Thi Ha
TH
Department of Ophthalmology, Hopital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Cassoux
Nathalie
N
Bodaghi
Bahram
B
Lehoang
Phuc
P
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D017245:Foscarnet / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006563:Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D012173:Retinitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000821:virology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014822:Vitreous Body
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D017245:Foscarnet; D015774:Ganciclovir; D000212:Acyclovir