title: Effect of prolonged oral acyclovir treatment in acute retinal necrosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To examine the effectiveness of prolonged oral acyclovir treatment in patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five ARN patients (62 eyes) who had been treated with short-term or long-term oral acyclovir were identified in this retrospective study: one group treated with prolonged oral acyclovir (≥14 weeks) and the other group treated with a shorter duration of oral acyclovir (<14 weeks). The authors examined whether the prolonged treatment reduced the involvement of the contralateral eye. They also evaluated prognostic factors for visual outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prolonged oral acyclovir treatment reduced the involvement of the contralateral eye (p = .036). The visual outcome was influenced by the timing of treatment initiation after symptom onset (p = .030), the age of the patient (p = .027), the area of retinal disease (p = .026), and the retinal detachment (p = .002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prolonged oral acyclovir treatment had a significant role in preventing the involvement of the contralateral eye.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, St. Vincent Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sohee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kakizaki
authors.forename: Won Ki
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Donghyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jee
mesh_terms: D000212:Acyclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015828:Eye Infections, Viral / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015882:Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000212:Acyclovir