Dv. Weinberg et al., COMBINED DAILY THERAPY WITH INTRAVENOUS GANCICLOVIR AND FOSCARNET FORPATIENTS WITH RECURRENT CYTOMEGALOVIRUS RETINITIS, American journal of ophthalmology, 117(6), 1994, pp. 776-782
We treated seven patients (nine eyes) who had cytomegalovirus retiniti
s with daily intravenous ganciclovir plus foscarnet. All patients had
demonstrated multiple progressions of retinitis on single-drug therapy
, and some were intolerant to induction doses of one or both medicatio
ns. Before combination therapy, the median number of progressions was
five per patient. The mean interval between progressions was 11 weeks,
and the mean interval before the final progression was four weeks. Wh
ile taking combination therapy, two patients showed progression after
14 and 34 weeks. Two patients showed no progression after 17 and 36 we
eks of follow-up. Three patients died after five, 14, and 23 weeks, re
spectively, without progression of retinitis. In every patient, the pr
ogression-free interval was longer during combination therapy than the
previous progression-free interval during single-drug therapy. In no
case was combination therapy stopped because of toxicity. Combination
therapy was fairly well tolerated and appeared to prolong the interval
to progression and to preserve vision in our patients.