BACKGROUND In this paper we study the digestive manifestations of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in AIDS patients. Also, we evaluate the antiviral treatment and the necessity of maintenance therapy. METHODS Retrospective review of medical charts of all patients with AIDS and digestive CMV disease diagnosed and followed-up since 1983 to december 1993. RESULTS Of 720 AIDS patients, 96 presented a CMV disease. Among them, 30 patients (31%) complained digestive manifestations. These were 26 males and 4 females, mean age: 37.4 y-old. Risk factors for HIV were: 13 homosex and 12 intravenous drug abusers. Average of time between AIDS diagnosis and digestive CMV disease: 13.4 months. Fourteen patients had esophagitis, 9 proctocolitis, 3 hepatitis, 3 pancreatitis, 2 gastric ulcerations, one small bowel disease and other an oral ulceration. Two patients had a concomitant CMV chorioretinitis. CD4 lymphocytes were below 0.05 x 10(9)/l in 29 patients. Twenty-four patients received antiviral treatment during the acute disease period, with a clinical curation rate of 60%. Seven patients received maintenance therapy and remained free of CMV disease until death. Eleven patients didn't received maintenance treatment. Of them, one patient presented a digestive relapse and two developed a CMV chorioretinitis. Mortality in the first month from diagnosis was 23% and the median of survival time for patients who cured and initial episode of digestive CMV disease was 208 days, wether or not the patient received maintenance therapy or not. CONCLUSIONS One third of ours patients with AIDS and CMV infection have a digestive disease. This CMV digestive disease appears in patients with a severe immunosuppression. Acute phase mortality was 23%. The median survival was 7 months, independently or receiving maintenance treatment or not.