[Neurological symptoms of cytomegalovirus infection in children]

Cytomegalovirus is considered as one of the most common causes of congenital infections. Clinical signs of infection are present in newborns whose mothers were infected during pregnancy. Disease is most severe if mother were infected during the first trimester. Congenital cytomegalovirus infection causes damage of CNS (central nervous system) and the liver, atrophy of optical nerve and hearing retardation up to complete loss. The most severe and frequent damage is of CNS. Under our observation were 20 children of different ages, among them 8 newborns. Verification of cytomegalovirus infection was done by ELISA. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was also used for diagnostic reasons. Examination of CNS was performed by neurosonography, electroencephalography and computed tomography. Four from eight newborns died at the age of 6-8 weeks (in these cases the generalized form of infection with severe damage of CNS was present). In the rest patients treatment with specific anticytomegalovirus immunoglobulin together with syndrome therapy yielded positive effect. Lately moderate retardation of phychomotor development became apparent in all cases. 12 patients, who come to our clinic in the period from 2 months to 1.5 years of age, psychomotor retardation, micro or hydrocephaly, hyperkinesias, absentia (epileptica), convulsive syndrome and malignant hypertension were present. On tomograms intracranial calcificats and cysts, also atrophy of cerebrum and encephalomalacia was visible. Sensory hearing loss was apparent in two patients. The study showed the presence of severe and in most cases irreversible CNS damages in the cases of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.