Vestibular Follow-up Program for Congenital Cytomegalovirus Based on 6 Years of Longitudinal Data Collection

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), the leading nongenetic cause of pediatric sensorineural hearing loss, can also affect vestibular function. Literature findings suggest clinical presentation of vestibular loss in cCMV to be as variable as the hearing loss. Still, probably due to the considerable additional burden it entails for both patients and diagnostic centers, longitudinal vestibular follow-up in cCMV is not well-established in clinical practice. Therefore, this study aims to propose an evidence-based vestibular follow-up program with proper balance between its feasibility and sensitivity.

In this longitudinal cohort study, 185 cCMV-patients (mean age 3.2 years, SD 1.6 years, range 0.5-6.7 years) were included. Vestibular follow-up data were obtained through lateral video head impulse test (vHIT) and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) evaluations around the ages of 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Around 3 and 4.5 years of age, data from vertical vHIT and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) were also collected.

At birth, 55.1% (102/185) of patients were asymptomatic and 44.9% (83/185) were symptomatic. The mean duration of follow-up for all patients was 20.8 (SD 16.3) months (mean number of follow-up assessments: 3.2, SD 1.5). Vestibular loss occurred at some point during follow-up in 16.8% (31/185) of all patients. Six percent (10/164) of patients with normal vestibular function at first assessment developed delayed-onset vestibular loss; 80.0% (8/10) of these within the first 2 years of life. Vestibular deterioration was reported both in patients who had been treated with postnatal antiviral therapy and untreated patients. At final evaluation, both the semicircular and the otolith system were impaired in the majority of vestibular-impaired ears (29/36, 80.6%). Dysfunctions limited to the semicircular system or the otolith system were reported in 4 (4/36, 11.1%) and 3 (3/36, 8.3%) ears, respectively. The occurrence of vestibular loss was highest in patients with first trimester seroconversion (16/59, 27.1%) or with an unknown timing of seroconversion (13/71, 18.3%), patients with sensorineural hearing loss (16/31, 51.6%), and patients with periventricular cysts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (7/11, 63.6%).

Longitudinal vestibular follow-up, most intensively during the first 2 years of life, is recommended in cCMV-patients with vestibular risk factors (first trimester or unknown timing of seroconversion; sensorineural hearing loss; periventricular cysts on MRI). If those risk factors can be ruled out, a single evaluation early in life (around 6 months of age) might be sufficient. Both semicircular and otolith system evaluation should be part of the follow-up program, as partial losses were reported.