Cytomegalovirus retinitis

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Antibodies

CMV retinitis

Eye

CMV retinitis

The goal of treatment is to stabilize or restore vision and prevent blindness. Long-term treatment is often needed. Medications may be given by mouth (orally), through a vein (intravenously), or injected directly into the eye (intraviteously).

The disease will sometimes get worse, even with treatment, because antiviral medications stop the spread of the virus but do not destroy it.

• Blindness
• Kidney impairment (from drugs used to treat the condition)
• Low white blood cell count (from drugs used to treat the condition)
• Retinal detachment

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If symptoms worsen or do not improve with treatment, or if new symptoms develop, call your health care provider.

People with AIDS (especially those with a very low CD4 count) who have vision problems should make an appointment for an immediate eye exam and should consider taking preventive treatment for CMV retinitis.

Review Date: 12/01/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).