Short- and long-term neurological outcomes of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Background/aim: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital viral infection. Although most children with congenital CMV (approximately 85%-90%) are asymptomatic at birth, findings such as sensorineural hearing loss, microcephaly, and neurodevelopmental retardation can be observed during the follow-up. Among the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of CMV are white matter abnormalities, polymicrogyria, and periventricular calcification. Since a definitive diagnosis of congenital CMV cannot be made after the neonatal period, the identification of the associated phenotype is diagnostically important, but data are limited in patients who have been retrospectively diagnosed with congenital CMV infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term neurological follow-up results of congenital CMV infections in a tertiary hospital.

Materials and methods: The neurological results of fifteen patients under the age of 18 years, who had a definitive diagnosis of congenital CMV infection and were followed up in a tertiary care hospital between 2011 and 2020, were retrospectively evaluated.

Results: Ten of the patients in our study group were male. The mean age at presentation for neurological evaluation was 2.02 ± 1.54 months, with a median follow-up time of 36.3 months (range: 9.3-129.4 months). Neurological disorders detected during the long-term follow-up included cerebral palsy (46.7%), cognitive impairment (46.7%), epilepsy (40%), and sensorineural hearing loss (26.7%). The most common abnormality observed on MRI scans was white matter involvement (53.3%).

Conclusion: Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial in congenital CMV infection, as it commonly results in neurological involvement among the patients in our series. This preventable condition warrants further research regarding prenatal/neonatal screening.