A Randomized, Controlled Study of Intravenous Ganciclovir Therapy for Peripheral Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in Patients With AIDS

CMV retinitis is an important sight-threatening opportunistic infection which affects 1 to 2 out of every 10 patients with AIDS. Results from an earlier study suggest that about 80 percent of patients with CMV retinitis will be helped by receiving intravenous doses of DHPG. Patients are randomly placed in one of two treatment groups. In one group, patients receive DHPG twice a day, intravenously, for 14 days, followed by a daily dose for 14 weeks. Patients in the other group (the delayed-treatment group) do not receive immediate treatment with DHPG. Patients in both groups have regular ophthalmologic (eye) evaluations with retinal photographs to see if the retinitis is getting worse. Patients in the delayed treatment group receive DHPG if this occurs.