Oral ganciclovir as maintenance treatment for cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with AIDS

Article Abstract:

Oral ganciclovir may be effective in treating cytomegalovirus retinitis and can be administered more easily than intravenous ganciclovir. Cytomegalovirus retinitis is an eye infection common in AIDS patients that can cause vision loss. Fifty-seven AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis received intravenous ganciclovir at 5 milligrams/kilogram body weight/day and 60 patients received oral ganciclovir at 3000 mg/day. Every 2 weeks for 20 weeks, the patients were evaluated by ophthalmologists and photographs of their eyes were taken for subsequent evaluation by graders. Based on the ophthalmologists' exams, the average time from the beginning of treatment to the progression of retinitis was 96 days in the intravenous group and 68 days in the oral group. Based on the grader's evaluation of photographs, the corresponding times were 62 days for the intravenous group and 57 days for the oral group. Digestive tract side effects were similar in both groups, while shortage of blood cells and blood infections were more common in the intravenous group.

Care and treatment, AIDS patients

---

New therapies for cytomegalovirus retinitis

Article Abstract:

Further research is required to determine the efficacy of oral ganciclovir instead of intravenous ganciclovir for the treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis. Cytomegalovirus retinitis is an eye infection common in AIDS patients that can cause vision loss. The most effective means of treatment is with life-long intravenous ganciclovir which is inconvenient and can cause complications such as blood infections. A 1995 study found that the oral form of the drug was only slightly less effective than the intravenous form in slowing the progression of retinitis. However, this conclusion may be ambiguous. It remains unclear whether the oral drug is better at preventing loss of vision. Furthermore, factors other than rate of progression are important in considering the effectiveness of a drug. The greater safety, convenience, and lower cost of the oral drug should have an impact on therapy decisions. The oral drug as well as an implanted device that delivers ganciclovir are being studied further.

Editorial

---

Treatment of cytomegalovirus retinitis with a sustained release ganciclovir implant

Article Abstract:

Intraocular implants that provide a sustained release of ganciclovir appear to slow the progression of cytomegalovirus retinitis but do not prevent this infection of the retina from occurring in the other eye. Researchers randomly assigned 173 AIDS patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis to receive one of two dosages of ganciclovir implanted directly in the eye or intravenous ganciclovir. Those receiving intravenous ganciclovir had almost three times the risk of disease progression than those who had implants but they were half as likely to have the disease spread to the other eye.

Complications and side effects, AIDS (Disease)

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Improving practice in wound care for patients with dementia
• Abstracts: Searle joins in pushing managed care for the elderly. Drug firms expand into patient care. HMO putting more control into physicians' hands
• Abstracts: Intrasphincteric botulinum toxin for the treatment of achalasia. Treatment of achalasia - from whalebone to botulinum toxin
• Abstracts: Comparison of 1% and 2.5% selenium sulfide in the treatment of tinea capitis. Asymptomatic Dermatophyte Carriers in the Households of Children With Tinea Capitis
• Abstracts: Giant cells in arthritic synovium. Localisation of apoptosis and expression of apoptosis related proteins in the synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.