Efficacy of Elevated CD4 Counts on CMV Retinitis

Exclusion Criteria

• •Intraocular sustained release ganciclovir implant in the eye for less than 9 months, or other organ involvement from CMV infection requiring use of systemic ganciclovir or foscarnet.
• •CMV retinitis should not involve the retina solely anterior to the equator, or within 1000 microns from the optic disc, or within 1000 microns from the fovea. Exception: patients with lesions that have involved the fovea or disc and caused visual acuity worse than 20/400 without the use of eccentric fixation, may be included.
• •Opacification of the cornea, lens, or vitreous in either eye that precludes examination of the fundus.
• •Other retinal disease that could obscure the diagnosis of CMV retinitis, such as ocular toxoplasmosis.
• •Significant psychiatric or emotional disorders that would impair patient understanding or participation in the trial.
• •Life expectancy less than three months.
• •Active CMV disease requiring systemic anti-CMV therapy.
• •CMV retinitis first diagnosised with CD4 T-cell count greater than 150 cells per microliter.
• •Need for medications with anti-CMV effect.
• •Participation in conflicting clinical trial.
• •Progression of CMV retinitis between screening and baseline examinations.