Rd. Levinson et al., TRIPLE VIRAL RETINITIS DIAGNOSED BY POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION OF THE VITREOUS BIOPSY IN A PATIENT WITH RICHTER-SYNDROME, American journal of ophthalmology, 126(5), 1998, pp. 732-733
PURPOSE: To report the evaluation and identification of herpes viruses
associated with retinitis in a patient with Richter syndrome. METHODS
: Diagnostic vitrectomy was performed on a patient with systemic leuke
mia and retinitis, The vitreous sample was evaluated by cytology, anal
ysis of cytokines by ELISA, and detection of virus by polymerase chain
reaction. RESULTS: The vitreous biopsy specimen showed no malignant c
ells but predominant CD8(+) lymphocyte infiltration with elevated inte
rferon gamma and interleukin-6, DNA amplification and Southern blot an
alysis demonstrated DNA of herpes simplex, varicella-zoster, and cytom
egalovirus. CONCLUSION: Retinitis associated with multiple viruses in
the vitreous biopsy may mimic leukemic infiltration in the eye. (Am J
Ophthalmol 1998; 126:732-733. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All ri
ghts reserved,).