Prognostic Factors of Cytomegalovirus Infection Associated Retinitis in HIV-Negative Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To summarize the prognostic factors of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis (CMVR) in HIV-negative patients treated with multiple intravitreal injections (IVs) of ganciclovir.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study (70 eyes) was conducted. Clinical signs, initial and final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), initial aqueous load of CMV DNA, course of treatment, and occurrence of complications were recorded and analyzed.

Results: A positive correlation was found between the baseline and the final best corrected visual acuity (P < .001) and between the initial aqueous CMV DNA load and the number of IVs (P = .01). A lesion close to the posterior pole (P < .001) and a larger retinal lesion (P = .002) remarkably led to worse visual prognosis.

Conclusions: Poor visual prognosis was significantly associated with poor initial visual acuity, proximity of lesion to the posterior pole, and an extensive CMV lesion. The treatment duration was positively correlated with the initial aqueous CMV DNA load.

Keywords:

• Aqueous humor
• cytomegalovirus retinitis
• intravitreal injection
• prognostic factors
• visual prognosis

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Beijing Chaoyang 1351 talent training program (No. CYXX-2017-21), the Science Research Foundation of Aier Eye Hospital Group (No. 201 AFM1701D3) and the Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province (No. 7SK50901). These funding bodies play no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.