Seizures associated with ganciclovir therapy

Abstract

A 32-year-old man diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and a disseminated cytomegalovirus infection experienced seizures associated with the administration of ganciclovir. Seizures began 1 month after initiation of therapy and worsened with increasing dosages. Despite phenytoin administration, the seizure-like activity subsided only after discontinuing ganciclovir. After rechallenge with ganciclovir the seizures recurred. Although this case was confounded by numerous patient and disease factors, the Naranjo algorithm produced a score of 7, indicating a probable association between ganciclovir and seizure activity.