Neonatal bilateral acute retinal necrosis in a neonate with a history of severe intrauterine growth restriction

We present the case of a baby girl born at term with severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) to a gravida 1 mother who was previously healthy and HIV negative. The newborn was evaluated by an ophthalmologist because of her history of IUGR and was diagnosed with intraretinal hemorrhages associated with areas of peripheral retinal necrosis at the posterior pole of both eyes. A diagnosis of acute retinal necrosis of presumed viral origin due to cytomegalovirus virus was considered, and the infant was started on and responded well to valganciclovir.