Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

• Erythropoietin, G-CSF, or GM-CSF.
• Antiretrovirals.

Patients must have:

• HIV infection.
• Evaluable CMV retinitis with photographable lesions.
• Life expectancy of at least 6 months.
• No active AIDS-defining opportunistic infections or malignancies that require nephrotoxic or myelosuppressive therapy.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded:

• Evidence of retinal vascular or related infectious disease or other retinal lesions that would interfere with the ability to detect responses to therapy or progression.
• Corneal, lens, or vitreous opacification precluding funduscopic exam.
• Clinically significant pulmonary or neurologic impairment other than seizure disorder or CNS mass lesion.
• Inability to obtain temporary IV access.
• Requirement for permanent catheters for IV ganciclovir administration.
• Uncontrolled diarrhea or nausea preventing ingestion of medicine.
• Known hypersensitivity to IV or oral ganciclovir.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Immunomodulators.
• Biologic response modifiers.
• Interferon.
• Related investigational agents.
• CMV prophylaxis.
• Systemic acyclovir.
• Any nephrotoxic agent.
• Any concomitant therapy that would prohibit use of ganciclovir.

Prior Medication:

Excluded:

• Prior treatment for CMV retinitis.
• More than 4 months of prior ganciclovir or foscarnet, or within 4 weeks prior to study entry.