title: Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection: false-negative amniocentesis at 20 weeks' gestation.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection. Recent studies show amniocentesis to be a 100 per cent sensitive and 100 per cent specific predictor of congenital infection, and recommend that it be offered in the at-risk pregnancy. However, these publications have focused on pregnancies at or beyond 22 weeks' gestation. Here, we report a case of maternal CMV hepatitis at 7-8 weeks' gestation, in which culture and polymerase chain reaction testing for CMV in amniotic fluid at 20 weeks' gestation were negative, but the infant had a positive CMV urine culture shortly after delivery. Implications for the prenatal diagnosis of CMV infection are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Sharp Memorial Hospital Women's Center, San Diego, California.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Catanzarite
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Dankner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D014556:Urine / Q000382:microbiology