Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: the impact of cerebral cortical malformations.
OBJECTIVE
Cytomegalovirus has been suggested to have a teratogenous influence during the migration of neural cells from the ventricular zones to the cortex during the gestational period. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus infections in a cohort of children with neurological disability and cerebral cortical malformations recognized by neuroimaging.


METHODS
Twenty-six children with neurological disability and cerebral cortical malformations were investigated retrospectively for congenital cytomegalovirus infection by analysing the dried blood spot samples for cytomegalovirus deoxynucleic acid using qualitative polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
CMV DNA in the dried blood spot samples was found in four out of 26 children. Two of these four had severe disabilities with mental retardation, autism, spastic cerebral palsy, epilepsy and deafness. A third child had epilepsy and unilateral cerebral palsy, while the fourth had a mild motor coordination dysfunction and hearing deficit.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, the number of congenital cytomegalovirus infections in children with cerebral cortical malformations was higher (4/26) than expected with reference to the birth prevalence (0.2-0.5%) of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in Sweden. We thus conclude that congenital cytomegalovirus infection should be considered in children with cortical malformations of unknown origin.
Engman
M-L
ML
Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden. mona-lisa.engman@ki.se
Lewensohn-Fuchs
I
I
Mosskin
M
M
Malm
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000151:congenital* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D054081:Malformations of Cortical Development, Group II / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult