Cytomegalovirus Retinitis (CMV Retinitis)
Definition | Symptoms | Treatment | Clinic Information
Definition
Cytomegalovirus retinitis, or CMV retinitis, is the most common severe infection affecting the eye in patients with AIDS. The disease typically occurs during the late stages of AIDS when individuals have a T cell , or CD4 count, of less than 100.
Left untreated, CMV can take a person's sight within two to six months.
- Blurry vision
- Eye pain
- Photophobia
- Floaters
- Eye redness
- Loss of vision
Treatment
Traditional treatment has used intravenous medications that are given daily via a permanent catheter. Newer treatments have become available over the past year which either do not require intravenous therapy or which can be given less frequently. One such therapy, called a vitrasert implant, has recently been shown to be superior to intravenous therapy in controlling the CMV infection, as reported by Dr. David Musch from the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The vitrasert implant is surgically placed in the eye and so delivers a high concentration of drug directly to where the infection is located. Retinal surgeons at the Kellogg Eye Center perform these surgeries on a routine basis. The implant procedure is done as an outpatient and is effective for approximately six to nine months, at which time a second device can be implanted.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with CMV retinitis and are being treated with intravenous medications, you may want to ask your doctor whether the implant is appropriate for you. There are a number of factors that determine the best treatment and each person must be evaluated individually.
Clinic Information
For more information, see the Retina, Uveitis & Ocular Oncology Clinic at the U-M Kellogg Eye Center.
