(CDC). As of 1999 there were only six FDA-approved treatments for CMV retinitus. They are intravenous and oral ganciclovir (Cytovene), intravenous foscarnet (Foscavir), intravenous cidofovir (Vistide), the ganciclovir implant (Vitrasert), and fomivirsen (Vitravene) (Medscape). However, the use of antiretroviral therapies has been shown to reduce the progression of CMV retinitus. There have been reports of dramatic decreases in the frequency of CMV retinitus in areas where 3- and 4-drug antiretroviral combination therapies are routinely used. In one study, the 6-month risk for new CMV disease in patients who had not taken protease inhibitors was 61% versus 9% in those patients who had taken protease inhibitors (Medscape). In addition to this, there have been reports that described improved outcomes in patients with CMV retinitus who have received antiretroviral therapy in addition to antiviral therapy. Also, it has been shown that only HAART or oral ganciclovir were associated with a decreased risk of CMV retinitus relapse (Medscape). In many patients with CMV retinitus that has healed in response to HAART, anti-CMV therapy has been discontinued without a reoccurrence of the retinitus (Medscape). Overall, CMV has a relatively small affect on society even though there is a high infection rate. In Healthy individuals, the virus rarely shows any symptoms at all. However, in the HIV/immunodepressed community, CMV has a very large affect. CMV is very common and can be deadly to immunodepressed individuals, therefore it should not be taken lightly (CDC).The future of CMV is unknown. Vaccines are still in the research and development stage (CDC). HAART has been shown to be effective in treating and preventing CMV retinitus (Medscape), but in my opinion I think the virus will be around for a long time.I chose to research and write about CMV and particularly CMV retinitus because I am planning on becoming an optometrist. Diseases...
