Effect of prolonged oral acyclovir treatment in acute retinal necrosis

Background: To examine the effectiveness of prolonged oral acyclovir treatment in patients with acute retinal necrosis (ARN). Methods: Fifty-five ARN patients (62 eyes) who had been treated with short-term or long-term oral acyclovir were identified in this retrospective study: one group treated with prolonged oral acyclovir (≥14 weeks) and the other group treated with a shorter duration of oral acyclovir (<14 weeks). The authors examined whether the prolonged treatment reduced the involvement of the contralateral eye. They also evaluated prognostic factors for visual outcome. Results: Prolonged oral acyclovir treatment reduced the involvement of the contralateral eye (p =.036). The visual outcome was influenced by the timing of treatment initiation after symptom onset (p =.030), the age of the patient (p =.027), the area of retinal disease (p =.026), and the retinal detachment (p =.002). Conclusions: Prolonged oral acyclovir treatment had a significant role in preventing the involvement of the contralateral eye.