Infectious posterior segment diseases in the immunocompromised patient

Opportunistic ocular complications of the immunosuppressed state are having a major impact on the practice of clinical ophthalmology. As the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic enters its second decade, the number of patients with ocular opportunistic infections or with neoplasms involving the visual system continues to increase and the spectrum of diseases continues to broaden. In this review new information on the management of opportunistic infections in the setting of immune compromise is discussed, including antiviral therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis, management of cytomegalovirus-associated retinal detachment, and diagnosis and treatment of zoster-associated retinitis.