Progressive outer retinal necrosis
Encyclopedia
Progressive outer retinal necrosis, also known as Varicella zoster virus retinitis (VZVR), is an aggressive, necrotizing
inflammation
of the eye
's retina
caused by herpes varicella zoster virus
. It is typically found in people with advanced AIDS
, but has also been reported in those who are severely immunocompromised due to chemotherapy
.
The majority of those with progressive outer retinal necrosis develop severe vision loss
and blindness
. Systemic antiviral drug
s may improve the long-term visual outcome in those with the disease.
Necrosis
Necrosis is the premature death of cells in living tissue. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma. This is in contrast to apoptosis, which is a naturally occurring cause of cellular death...
inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the eye
Human eye
The human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. As a conscious sense organ, the eye allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth...
's retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
caused by herpes varicella zoster virus
Varicella zoster virus
Varicella zoster virus is one of eight herpes viruses known to infect humans . It commonly causes chicken-pox in children and Herpes zoster in adults and rarely in children.-Nomenclature:...
. It is typically found in people with advanced AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, but has also been reported in those who are severely immunocompromised due to chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
.
The majority of those with progressive outer retinal necrosis develop severe vision loss
Vision loss
Vision loss or visual loss is the absence of vision where it existed before, which can happen either acutely or chronically .-Ranges of vision loss:...
and blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. Systemic antiviral drug
Antiviral drug
Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections. Like antibiotics for bacteria, specific antivirals are used for specific viruses...
s may improve the long-term visual outcome in those with the disease.
See also
- Cytomegalovirus retinitisCytomegalovirus retinitisCytomegalovirus retinitis, also known as CMV retinitis, is an inflammation of the eye's retina that can lead to blindness.-Presentation:...
- List of eye diseases and disorders
- List of systemic diseases with ocular manifestations