Purpose: Intravitreal Ganciclovir has been one of the treatments of choice for cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis and has been used extensively for its treatment since 1987. It has not been shown to have any major adverse effects. There are no reports on any retinal toxicity even after multiple, repeated injections. Herein, we report a rare case of retinal toxicity after multiple intravitreal injections in a patient of CMV retinitis.
Case report: A 69-year-old one eyed male, who was on oral corticosteroids and systemic immunosuppression for Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, presented with CMV retinitis in both eyes. His visual acuity was 20/60 in his right eye and no perception of light in his left eye. He was treated with multiple injections of intravitreal Ganciclovir in his right eye. The left eye was not treated since it had no vision potential. The right eye of the patient which had received multiple injections went on to developed a progressive diffuse atrophy of Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE). No such changes were noted in the left eye of the patient.
Conclusion and importance: We present a case of progressive diffuse RPE atrophy as a result of toxicity of intravitreal ganciclovir injections. It is important to be aware of this rare potential toxicity of intravitreal Ganciclovir.
Keywords: CMV retinitis; ganciclovir; immunosuppression; retinal pigment atrophy; toxicity.