Objective: To characterize cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients who demonstrate immune recovery while receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Design: Consecutive, noncomparative case series.
Participants: Twenty-two HIV-positive patients, from two institutions, with a history of CMV retinitis, and with elevated CD4 cell counts after HAART.
Main outcome measures: Duration of healed CMV retinitis without anti-CMV therapy, CD4 cell count, and HIV viral load.
Intervention: Discontinuation of anti-CMV therapy after persistent elevation of CD4 cell count over 50 cell/mm3 (median, 161/mm3; range, 85-408/mm3).
Results: The median period of healed CMV retinitis without anti-CMV therapy was 72 weeks (range, 33-116 weeks). Nineteen of 22 patients were still healed without anti-CMV therapy at study end. The three patients with CMV retinitis progression simultaneously had HAART, fail with CD4 cell counts of 37, 35, and 47/mm3.
Conclusions: HIV-positive patients with CMV retinitis, who demonstrate a sustained HAART-induced elevation of CD4 cell count on two consecutive counts 3 months apart and whose retinitis remains healed on anti-CMV therapy for greater than 4 months, are likely to remain healed if the anti-CMV therapy is withdrawn. It is important to monitor these patients with indirect ophthalmoscopy because HAART failure may occur and allow CMV retinitis reactivation.