Cytomegalovirus retinitis in a case during treatment for malignant tumor

Purpose : To report a case of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis that developed during treatment for malignancy. Case : An 80-year-old male presented with impaired vision in the right eye. He had been diagnosed with prostate carcinoma 6 years before and been receiving systemic corticosteroid and chemotherapy. Findings : Corrected visual acuity was 0.8 right and 0.7 left. Both eyes showed hemorrhage and exudates in the midperipheral retina. He was diagnosed with CMV retinitis after detection of CMV in the aqueous. The retinitis subsided after intravitreal injection of ganciclovir. Retinal detachment developed in the left eye 4 months later. The retinal became reattached after scleral encircling with silicone oil tamponade. Visual acuity stabilized at 0.8 right and 0.3 left 22 months after onset. Conclusion : This case illustrates that CMV retinitis is a liability in a senile person with immunologically affected state.