ABSTRACT
Purpose: To determine the incidence of contralateral eye involvement and retinal detachment in HIV-infected patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis treated with repeated intravitreous ganciclovir.
Methods: In a prospective cohort study in Northern Thailand, HIV-infected patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis were treated with antiretroviral therapy and intravitreous ganciclovir injections and followed for 3 months for contralateral cytomegalovirus retinitis and retinal detachment.
Results: Of 49 participants with unilateral cytomegalovirus retinitis at enrollment, 7 developed contralateral eye involvement (4.8/100 person-months, 95% CI 1.9–9.8). Of 105 eyes without a retinal detachment at enrollment, 6 developed a retinal detachment (2.0/100 eye-months, 95% CI 0.7–4.3). Baseline clinical factors were not associated with the development of either outcome.
Conclusion: Eyes treated with intravitreous ganciclovir experienced retinal detachment at a rate similar to other populations treated with systemic antivirals. The risk of contralateral eye involvement was relatively high during the first 3 months after initial diagnosis despite the institution of antiretroviral therapy.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website