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Cytomegalovirus retinitis
Make it clearer
Cytomegalovirus, abbreviated CMV, is a virus. Cytomegalovirus retinitis is what that virus does when it reaches the retina: it infects it and inflames it. And it mostly affects people whose immune system is weakened.
The damage is necrosis, meaning death of the tissue of the retina, the layer at the back of the eye that turns light into signals for the brain. The retina is the film of the eye: where it is destroyed, no image remains. Vision is lost without pain, especially in people with advanced HIV. It usually starts in one eye, and it often moves to the other later.
If it is not treated, that damage can end in blindness in four to six months, sometimes less. To see it, the ophthalmologist dilates the pupil and looks directly at the back of the eye.
In brief
Cytomegalovirus retinitis is a viral infection that inflames the retina, and it mostly affects people with weakened immune systems.
It causes retinal necrosis and painless vision loss, especially in advanced HIV; it usually starts in one eye and often spreads to the other.
The retina is the film of the eye: where it is destroyed, no image remains.
Untreated, it can cause blindness in four to six months or less; it is diagnosed by dilating the pupil and examining the back of the eye.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineCMV retinitis, MedlinePlus Medical EncyclopediaPublished
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingCytomegalovirus Infections, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated