Which medication is commonly used for the treatment of CMV esophagitis?

Ganciclovir is the medication commonly used for treating cytomegalovirus (CMV) esophagitis. It is an antiviral drug specifically effective against the herpesvirus family, including CMV. CMV esophagitis is often seen in immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV/AIDS or transplant recipients, and Ganciclovir is particularly useful because it directly targets the viral replication process.

Ganciclovir works by inhibiting the viral DNA polymerase, effectively reducing the viral load and helping to alleviate the symptoms associated with the infection. When patients present with CMV esophagitis, initiating treatment with Ganciclovir can lead to clinical improvement and resolution of the infection.

While Valganciclovir is an oral prodrug that gets converted to Ganciclovir in the body and can also be used for CMV infections, Ganciclovir itself is more frequently cited in the context of acute treatment for CMV esophagitis, especially in severe cases requiring intravenous administration. Medications like Acyclovir primarily target herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV), while Tenofovir is an antiretroviral used