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Published on: July 24, 2016
Cerebellar Malformations in Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection
Marcus Meneses1, Amirreza Manteghinejad2, Alka Gupta2
1From the Department of Radiology (M.M., A.M., C.R.C.-V., S.R.T., M.T.W.), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine (M.T.W.), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA and Neuroradiology (A.G.), SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA. silvadecam@chop.edu.
Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) can cause cerebellar malformations, which are more common than previously thought. These findings, identified via MRI, always accompany other typical cCMV imaging features.
Area of Science:
- Neuroradiology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the US.
- Cerebellar abnormalities are infrequently reported in cCMV literature.
- Neuroimaging findings in cCMV are diverse, necessitating a comprehensive understanding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the spectrum of cerebellar anomalies and malformations in cCMV.
- To associate these cerebellar findings with other typical cCMV imaging features.
- To analyze both prenatal and postnatal brain MRI findings in cCMV.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study at a quaternary children's hospital.
- Inclusion of patients with confirmed cCMV and fetal/postnatal brain MRI.
- Evaluation of cerebellar morphology and common cCMV features by two neuroradiologists.
Main Results:
- Cerebellar dysmorphology was observed in 58.8% of fetal and 57.9% of postnatal cCMV MRIs.
- Vermis height and diameter were smaller in postnatal cCMV MRIs compared to controls.
- All cases with cerebellar abnormalities also presented with other typical cCMV imaging findings.
Conclusions:
- Cerebellar malformations are a more prevalent feature of cCMV than previously recognized.
- Cerebellar abnormalities on MRI should be carefully assessed in all suspected cCMV cases.
- These findings highlight the importance of thorough cerebellar evaluation in cCMV diagnosis.
