Abstract

CALIX, Maria José; TELES, Andreia  and  JOAO, Anabela. Cytomegalovirus: Vertical Transmission and Disease. Arq Med [online]. 2010, vol.24, n.5, pp.179-183. ISSN 2183-2447.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most common causes of congenital infection, occurring during pregnancy in 1 to 4%, with a particularly high transmission risk in mothers with primary infection. The incidence of intrauterine infection varies between 0.2 and 2.4%. Most of the newborns are asymptomatic. Routine prenatal screening is not routinely done our country, persisting doubt about the need of this implementation. Therefore, in nowadays treatment of CMV infection has been developed, appearing to be promising. Objective: The aim of this study was to improve the knowledge of the reality of mother-to-child transmission and evolution of congenital CMV infection in our Hospital. Material and Methods: We based on retrospective analysis of the clinical records of newborns with suspected congenital CMV infection, from January 2001 to December 2006. Cytomegalovirus diagnosis was made by isolating the virus from urine samples by culture methods (Shell-Vial assay) or by Polymerase Chain Reaction. We evaluated the motive of demand, maternal age, timing of seroconversion, gestacional age and somatometry. In the newborns with infection we also analyse clinical manifestations, hearing and ophthalmologic screening, cranial ultrasonography and evaluation of the growth and development. Results: Sixty patients were reviewed, being the most of the motive of demand the maternal seroconversion. The transmission rate was 23%. It was observed that 40% of the newborns with infection were born from young mothers. At birth, 71% of the cases were asymptomatic. The clinical manifestations include cytomegalic inclusion disease (14%), intrauterine growth retardation (14%), low-birthweight (21%) and microcephaly (21%). During follow-up, 14% of the cases had development delay and 7% sensorineural hearing loss. Discussion: As the sample was small we can not take conclusions. So, the knowledge of the reality of each medical centre may help evaluating the importance perinatal screening.

Keywords : cytomegalovirus; congenital infection; cytomegalic inclusion disease; vertical transmission.

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