Cytomegalovirus hepatitis in early pregnancy: A case report

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus infecting a large proportion of the population worldwide. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic infection to severe disease with multi-organ involvement, depending primarily on host immune status. CMV hepatitis is an uncommon clinical presentation. In pregnancy, infection is usually asymptomatic in immunocompetent women; however, transplacental transmission may occur, leading to congenital infection. Congenital CMV is the most common congenital viral infection. This report describes the case of a 30-year-old pregnant woman with acute CMV infection acquired during the first trimester. The disease manifested as hepatitis, with ALT and AST levels reaching up to 31-fold and 15-fold above the upper limits of normal, respectively. Gradual improvement was observed with supportive treatment, and the outcome was favourable for both mother and child. The infant was delivered at term and has shown normal development; at 8 years of age, the only reported condition is lactose intolerance.