Study Evaluates Manifestations of Cytomegalovirus-Associated Eye Infections in Patients Without HIV

The medical records of 18 patients  (22 affected eyes) were reviewed as part of a case series study in an academic research setting by Kessara Pathanapitoon, MD, PhD, of Chiang Mai University in Thailand, and colleagues to describe the clinical manifestations and co-existing illnesses of patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who have cytomegalovirus (CMV)-associated posterior uveitis or panuveitis.

The authors note that CMV is a common cause of such conditions in patients with severe immunosuppression, but little attention has been paid to the clinical manifestations of CMV infection in patients without HIV.

The study results indicate that ocular features included focal hemorrhagic retinitis (n=13) and peripheral retinal necrosis (n=7). All patients displayed vitreous inflammation. Eleven of the 18 patients were taking immunosuppressive medications, according to the study results.

The authors conclude that cytomegalovirus-associated infections of posterior eye segments can develop in patients without HIV infections who have compromised immune function of variable severity but may also occur in patients who have no evidence of immune insufficiency.

Cytomegalovirus infection located in posterior eye segments in patients without HIV infection caused intraocular inflammatory reaction in all cases and demonstrated more variable clinical presentation than classic CMV retinitis observed in patients with HIV infection, the study concludes.

Reference: JAMA Ophthalmol. Published online March 14, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.2860.