Evaluation of 98 immunocompetent children with cytomegalovirus infection: importance of neurodevelopmental follow-up.

This study aims to analyze and evaluate the clinic and demographic features of immunocompetent children that have been diagnosed with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. The data of children diagnosed with CMV infection between January 2005 and December 2010 and their follow-ups for 2 years were retrospectively evaluated. Ninety-eight patients were included, and the median age at admission was 5.6 months (5 days-36 months). 54.1% was male. The diagnosis of CMV infection was performed by measurement of serum anti-CMV specific Ig M and IgG titers and PCR method in blood and/or urine. In 3.06% of the patients, congenital infection was detected, whereas possible congenital infection was observed in 36.7% of the patients. Furthermore, 44 patients (44.8%) were detected to have perinatal infection while postnatal infection was spotted in 15.3% of the patients. The common presenting manifestations were prolonged jaundice, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal distension, skin eruption, and seizure. And the most common physical examination findings were hepatosplenomegaly, microcephaly, jaundice, and petechia. The mainstream laboratory results were elevated transaminases (50%), anemia (30.6%), leukocytosis (27.5%), and thrombocytopenia (18.3%). There were intracranial calcification in 5.1% and eye findings in 5.1%. On follow-up of patients, complete improvement (59.1%), neuromotor developmental delay (11.2%), epilepsy (10.2%), hearing loss (3.06 %), hemolytic anemia (2.04%), and growth retardation (1.02%) were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

CMV infection is a significant disease both in congenital and perinatal period. It must be considered that diagnosed patients need to be monitored for a long time with special attention to their neurodevelopmental follow-ups.