RAPIDLY PROGRESSIVE OUTER RETINAL NECROSIS CAUSED BY VARICELLA-ZOSTERVIRUS IN A PATIENT INFECTED WITH HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS

We describe a 21-year-old immunocompromised patient with a unique type of necrotizing herpetic retinitis. The retinitis progressed with loss of vision when acyclovir or ganciclovir alone was used for treatment, Examination of a chorioretinal biopsy specimen revealed that varicell a tester virus was the causative agent, Foscarnet monotherapy also fai led to prevent progression of the retinal infection. Combination antiv iral therapy with ganciclovir and foscarnet appeared to delay progress ion of disease and helped maintain a visual acuity of 20/200 for at le ast 6 months after the onset of infection.