A Study of Two Forms of Ganciclovir in the Treatment of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) of the Eyes in Patients With AIDS

Inclusion Criteria Concurrent Medication: Allowed: * Topical and ophthalmic nucleoside analogues. Patients must have: * HIV positive. * No more than two episodes of CMV retinitis progression (relapse resulting in reinduction with intravenous anti-CMV therapy) since the original retinitis diagnosis. * Currently stable retinitis. Prior Medication: Allowed: * Foscarnet prior to the 4 weeks of intravenous induction therapy. Exclusion Criteria Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded: * Persistent or clinically significant diarrhea, nausea, or abdominal pain. * Severe odynophagia. * Other gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms or uncontrolled GI disease. * Active CMV disease of the GI tract (e.g., CMV colitis, CMV esophagitis). * Ocular media opacities (corneal, lenticular, or vitreal) that prevent ophthalmologic retinal assessments. * Dementia, decreased mentation, or other encephalopathic signs and symptoms that would preclude informed consent or study compliance. Concurrent Medication: Excluded: * Acyclovir sodium (Zovirax) by any route other than topical. * Valacyclovir. * Brovavir. * Vidarabine. * Amantadine hydrochloride. * Cytarabine. * Idoxuridine. * Ribavirin. * Interferon. * Foscarnet (non-nucleoside pyrophosphate analogue). * CMV hyperimmune globulin. * Soluble CD4. * Trichosanthin (Compound Q). * Imipenem-cilastatin. * Isoprinosine. * Levamisole. * Other investigational drugs. Patients with the following prior condition are excluded: History of hypersensitivity to acyclovir or ganciclovir. Prior Medication: Excluded: * More than three induction regimens with intravenous anti-CMV therapy. * Any prior oral ganciclovir.