Clinical Features and Treatment of Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in Korea

Park, Yoon Seon; Kim, Young Keun; Choi, Jun Young; Kim, Myung Soo; Shin, So Youn; Kim, Yeon a; Ku, Nam Soo; Kim, Joon Hyung; Song, Young Goo; Kwon, Oh Woong; Kim, June Myung

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is an important cause of opportunistic diseases in HIV infected patients and also, "non-HIVs". This study was focused on the clinical features and efficacies of treatment of patients with CMV retinitis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The medical records of patients diagnosed as CMV retinitis at the Severance hospital, Yonsei University Medical College from January 1992 to February 2006 were reviewed retrospectively.
RESULTS
There were 16 HIV patients and 9 non-HIV patients; total 25 cases. The ratio of male and female was 6.3:1. 5 cases were infected with HIV by homosexual contacts, 6 cases were by heterosexual contacts, and 2 cases were by the infection which was pertinent to transfusion and blood products. Infection routes of 3 cases were unable to be determined. At the time of the diagnosis of HIV infection, the average age of patients was 38.2+/-6.6 years, and afterwards, the interval to the development of CMV retinitis was average 2.2+/-3.4 years. The number of CD4+ lymphocytes at the time of the diagnosis of HIV infection, and the diagnosis of CMV retinitis was 122.9/mm3 and 68.9/ mm3, respectively. One of non-HIV patients had undergone kidney-transplantation, and two had malignant lymphoma and four had aplastic anemia as their underlying diseases. The other one had systemic lupus. Their symptoms included visual disturbance, floater and visual field defects, but three of them felt no visual discomfort. In 5 AIDS patients, while administering the induction therapy of ganciclovir, it was terminated due to leukopenia caused by bone marrow suppression. One patient already lost the eyesight at the time of the diagnosis, and thus antiviral drugs were not administered. The other 19 cases were treated by intravenous ganciclovir or foscarnet, and their symptoms were improved. Among 16 HIV patients, 12 patients died an average of 8.0 months after the diagnosis of CMV retinitis. There was no mortality among non-HIV patients within 2 years.
CONCLUSION
These results suggested that HIV patients with CD4 T lymphocytes lower than 100/mm3 were susceptible to CMV retinitis. There were clinical improvements in 68.8% prescribed with ganciclovir. In the fatalities' point of view, the awareness and recognition of CMV retinitis on AIDS patients has become increasingly important. In the immunocompromised hosts, it is important to perform aggressive treatment of CMV retinitis to prevent their complications.