RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL-DETACHMENT IN PATIENTS WITH CYTOMEGALOVIRUS RETINITIS - THE FOSCARNET-GANCICLOVIR CYTOMEGALOVIRUS RETINITIS TRIAL

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence and risk factors for rhegmatogenou s retinal detachment in a population of patients with newly diagnosed cytomegalovirus retinitis. METHODS: Analysis of selected baseline and time-dependent data on patients enrolled in a multicenter, prospective , randomized, controlled clinical trial of therapy with foscarnet vs g anciclovir. RESULTS: In 316 eyes with cytomegalovirus retinitis at bas eline, the risk of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in an eye involve d by cytomegalovirus retinitis was 18.9% at 6 months (95% confidence i nterval [CI], 14.0% to 23.8%) and 37.9% at 1 year (95% CI, 30.5% to 45 .3%). Retinal detachment was not associated with the type of anticytom egalovirus therapy (intravenous foscarnet or ganciclovir) to which the patient was assigned. Extent of retinal involvement by cytomegaloviru s retinitis, higher patient age, and lower CD4(+) T-cell counts were a ssociated with an increased risk of retinal detachment; myopia was not . CONCLUSIONS: Retinal detachment in patients with cytomegalovirus ret initis is unrelated to the type of intravenous therapy used or to refr active error. The median time to retinal detachment in an involved eye with cytomegalovirus retinitis and free of retinal detachment at base line was 18.2 months. Strategies to reduce the extent of retinitis and possibly the number of reactivations may reduce the incidence of reti nal detachment.