title: Long-term audiological follow-up of children with congenital cytomegalovirus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the audiological outcome of children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study, the hearing of 98 congenitally cytomegalovirus-infected children born between January 2003 and July 2009 was systematically evaluated until the age of six using the Flemish CMV protocol. Symptomatic children with hearing loss at birth were treated with ganciclovir, if parents consented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy children passed initial screening, 28 had unilateral or bilateral hearing loss. In the normal hearing group, one asymptomatic and two symptomatic children developed late-onset hearing loss. Eight children in the group with hearing loss at birth received ganciclovir. Nine symptomatic and 11 asymptomatic children did not receive ganciclovir. In the treated group, 37.5% of the children had stable hearing loss, and 37.5% had progressive and/or fluctuating hearing loss. First progression or fluctuation always occurred after the age of one year. The hearing threshold improved in 25.0%. The improvement took place during or shortly after treatment. Hearing loss remained stable in 33.3% of the untreated symptomatic children, while progression or fluctuation occurred in 55.5%. In the asymptomatic group, hearing loss was most commonly stable (63.6%). The first change in the hearing threshold was almost always detected before the age of one year in both untreated groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hearing loss caused by congenital cytomegalovirus infection cannot be defined unequivocally either with respect to the level of hearing loss or its evolution over time. Treating symptomatic children with ganciclovir leads to a better prognosis during the first year of life, after which progression or fluctuation again becomes more likely. However, overall, progression is more common in the untreated symptomatic group. Asymptomatic children with SNHL are more likely to have a stable hearing status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. liesbeth.royackers@uzleuven.be
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Royackers
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rector
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verhaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desloovere
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D015774:Ganciclovir