OCULAR MANIFESTATIONS OF THE ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

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Patients suffering from AIDS are at risk of developing significant ocular problems, some of which can lead to blindness. Left untreated, CMV retinitis is a major cause of blindness in AIDS patients. We have looked at the effect of the new antiviral drug foscarnet and determined its ability to inhibit progression of the virus. We have also started investigating the usefulness of adjunctive therapy with laser photocoagulation in preventing progression of the disease. In the course of our studies, we have also identified new manifestations of known infectious agents in patients with AIDS, namely, HZV retinitis. In conjunction with the Pediatric Branch of the National Cancer Institute, we have been following about 125 children with symptomatic HIV to determine the natural history of the disease and to determine the probability of significant ocular disease in these children.