A Randomized Controlled Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Maintenance Treatment With Oral Ganciclovir for Newly Diagnosed Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in People With AIDS

Inclusion Criteria Patients must have the following: * Confirmation of HIV infection by HIV-antibody testing, p24 antigen assay, or culture of HIV, or have diagnosis of AIDS by CDC criteria. * CMV retinitis diagnosed within one month of study entry. * Understand the nature of the study, agree to its provisions, and sign the informed consent approved by the appropriate institutional review board and Syntex. Exclusion Criteria Concurrent Medication: The following are excluded: * Antimetabolites. Alkylating agents. Selected nucleoside analogs. Selected Cytokines. Patients with the following are excluded: * Persistent diarrhea, nausea, or abdominal pain or other clinically significant GI symptoms or uncontrolled gastrointestinal disease. Diarrhea is defined as 3 or more unformed stools per day. * Have ocular media opacities (corneal, lenticular, or vitreal) preventing ophthalmologic retinal assessment and photography. * Have ocular conditions requiring immediate surgical correction (e.g. retinal tear or detachment). * Require continuation of concomitant medications precluded by this protocol, e.g., antimetabolites, alkylating agents, selected nucleoside analogs, and selected cytokines and other medications listed in the protocol. * History of hypersensitivity to acyclovir or ganciclovir. * Dementia, decreased mentation or other encephalopathic signs and symptoms which would interfere with the ability of the subject to give informed consent or comply with the protocol. Prior Medication: The following are excluded: \- Previous use of anti-cytomegalovirus drug (e.g., ganciclovir, foscarnet, FIAC, or CMV hyperimmune globulin) within one month of study entry.