Peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer changes on optical coherence tomography in patients with unilateral hypertensive cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis

•CMV infection often manifests with recurrent acute hypertensive anterior uveitis attacks and presents with chronic elevated IOP which causes glaucomatous damage in many cases.•The peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) values of the effected eyes of patients with CMV anterior uveitis were lower than the healthy eyes .•Monitoring the pRNFL and GCIPL change and promptly starting treatment for CMV anterior uveitis patients may prevent irreversible glaucomatous damage.•Early detection of glaucomatous defects with optical coherence tomography may ensure intervention before further glaucomatous damage occurs. To investigate whether peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thinning are present in patients with unilateral hypertensive Cytomegalovirus anterior uveitis (hCMV AU). We included 19 eyes with unilateral hCMV AU and their unaffected fellow eyes as the control group in this study. Peripapillary RNFL and macular GCIPL changes were determined using spectral-domain (SD) - optical coherence tomography (OCT). The overall calculated mean pRNFL thickness was significantly lower in the effected eyes with hCMV AU than in the uneffected fellow eyes (p = 0.012). The mean macular GCIPL thickness in the affected eyes was also significantly lower than in the normal eyes (p < 0.001). Measurement of pRNFL and macular GCIPL thickness with OCT may detect signs of damage before the visual field changes in patients with hypertensive CMV AU. Early aggressive treatment in these patients may prevent further glaucomatous damage.