[Perinatal cytomegalovirus infection: commonly occurring but rarely diagnosed]
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence rate of perinatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and to describe the clinical presentation of this infection in non-transfused term infants attended at a general hospital, in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. POPULATION AND METHODS: Thirty four infants free of CMV infection at birth were followed up during the first 4 months of life. Diagnosis of perinatal CMV infection was established by isolating the virus in tissue culture or by polymerase chain reaction DNA amplification (PCR) in urine samples. RESULTS: A 38.2% (13/34) incidence rate of perinatal CMV infection was detected, and only 3 of the infected infants were symptomatic (respiratory tract symptoms in one infant and splenomegaly in two). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a high incidence rate of perinatal CMV infection in the studied infants. Clinical symptoms were present in 23% of these patients, stimulating the investigation of this agent as a cause of pneumonitis and splenomegaly.
Yamamoto
A Y
AY
Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Figueiredo
L T
LT
Mussi-Pinhata
M M
MM