[Bilateral cytomegalovirus retinitis in an infant with fatal congenital AIDS].

The authors report on a baby born on August 25, 1984 with a birthweight of 1100 g. Her parents used drugs intravenously and her mother had anti-HTLV III antibody. In the clinical course an immune deficiency syndrome with pathologic reduction of T4:T8 (T-helper: T-suppressor cells) was apparent. The child had no anti-HTLV III antibody, but exposition, typical clinical course and immunological data led to the diagnosis Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In the 9th month bilateral progressive retinitis developed; it was thought to have been induced by cytomegalovirus. Complement-fixation antibody titer for cytomegalovirus was negative, but the virus was found in the urine. In the 12th month the baby died of cardiac arrhythmia caused by cytomegalic myocarditis. Macroscopic and light-microscopic illustrations of the inflammatory changes in both eyes are presented; in the retina there were large multinucleated cells which were visible macroscopically.