Ultrasound prediction of symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of ultrasound in the antenatal prediction of symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.


METHODS
The sonograms of 650 fetuses from mothers with primary CMV infection were correlated to fetal or neonatal outcome. Infection status was disclosed by viral urine isolation at birth or CMV tissue inclusions at autopsy. Classification of symptomatic disease was based on postnatal clinical or laboratory findings or macroscopic evidence of tissue damage at autopsy.


RESULTS
Ultrasound abnormalities were found in 51 of 600 mothers with primary infection (8.5%) and 23 of 154 congenitally infected fetuses (14.9%). Symptomatic congenital infection resulted in 1 of 23 and 68 of 131 cases with or without abnormal sonographic findings, respectively. Positive predictive values of ultrasound vs symptomatic congenital infection was 35.3% relating to all fetuses or infants from mothers with primary infection and 78.3% relating to fetuses or infants with congenital infection.


CONCLUSIONS
When fetal infection status is unknown, ultrasound abnormalities predict symptomatic congenital infection in only a third of cases.
Guerra
Brunella
B
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Orsola Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Simonazzi
Giuliana
G
Puccetti
Chiara
C
Lanari
Marcello
M
Farina
Antonio
A
Lazzarotto
Tiziana
T
Rizzo
Nicola
N
D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000821:virology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal