The present study aimed to investigate the effect of anti-cytomegalovirus (anti-CMV) therapy at different stages on retinal detachment in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR).Ninety-seven patients with AIDS and CMVR diagnosed and treated at the Ophthalmology and Infection Center of Beijing You'an Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, from November 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 138 eyes included, 30 eyes with concomitant retinal detachment were enrolled as the study subjects. The eyes with retinal detachment were divided into a pre-induction group, an intra-induction group, and a post-induction group of anti-CMV therapy. The occurrence and characteristics of retinal detachment at different stages of anti-CMV therapy were observed.Retinal detachment occurred in 30 of the 138 eyes of 97 patients, with an incidence of retinal detachment of 21.74%. Retinal detachment occurred in eight eyes in the pre-induction group, with an incidence of 26.67%, and in four eyes in the intra-induction group, with an incidence of 13.33%. The difference in incidence between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.000). Retinal detachment occurred in 18 eyes in the post-induction group, with an incidence of 60%. The difference in incidence between the intra-induction group and the post-induction group was statistically significant (P = 0.001).The incidence of retinal detachment at the intra-induction stages of anti-CMV therapy was lower than that at the pre-induction stage, and retinal detachment during the anti-CMV therapy predominantly occurred after the end of the induction stage.