UK rise in the use of oral and intravitreal antivirals in ARN treatment

An investigation in the journal Eye has disclosed an increase in the use of oral and intravitreal antivirals for the treatment of acute retinal necrosis (ARN) in the UK.

Dr T.F. Cochrane et al., Ophthalmology Department, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland, UK, conducted a prospective study on 52 eyes of 45 patients. UK ophthalmologists reported ARN cases by using the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit (BOSU) report card system.

Of the patients studied, there were 20 females and 25 males aged between 10 and 94 years. It was found that 8 patients had a history of herpetic CNS disease. A total of 13 patients underwent aqueous sampling, 27 underwent vitreous sampling and 4 underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampling.

For 76% of cases ophthalmologists administered intravenous antivirals and 24% received oral antivirals only. The visual outcome at six months was under 6/60 in 48% of affected eyes.

The study results strongly suggest that patients with a history of herpetic CNS disease should immediately report any visual symptoms.