Treatment of Acute Retinal Necrosis with Acute Kidney Injury after Intravenous Antiviral Injection

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: In the present study, a case of acute retinal necrosis with acute renal injury due to high-dose intravenous antiviral injection which was treated by intravitreal ganciclovir injection is reported. CASE SUMMARY: A 46-year-old female visited our clinic complaining of red eye and decreased vision in the right eye. At the first visit, her corrected visual acuity was finger count in the right eye, and 20/20 in the left eye. Fundus examination of the right eye revealed multiple peripheral arterial occlusion, papilledema, and whitish necrotic infiltration at the periphery. Clinically diagnosed as acute retinal necrosis, the patient was started on intravenous acyclovir. Two days after injection, her serum creatinine level increased, therefore, intravenous acyclovir was discontinued and she was started on intravitreal ganciclovir. Five days after the intravenous injection was discontinued, the serum creatinine level returned to normal range. Four months after the first visit, visual acuity was 20/100 and no recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ganciclovir injection can be an effective alternative in patients with acute retinal necrosis and poor kidney function.