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Progressive neurological disease associated with chronic cytomegalovirus infection
Author(s) -
Bray Patrick F.,
Bale James F.,
Anderson Robert E.,
Kern Earl R.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410090513
Subject(s) - encephalomalacia , medicine , cytomegalovirus , pregnancy , hydrocephalus , central nervous system , disease , fetus , nervous system , pathology , pediatrics , cytomegalovirus infection , human cytomegalovirus , immunology , viral disease , surgery , virus , herpesviridae , biology , psychiatry , genetics
Cytomegalovirus (CMV), the most common infectious cause of nervous system damage in the fetus and newborn infant, generally has been thought to exert its teratogenic effect during early pregnancy, and it has been assumed that clinical or postmortem abnormalities reflect static insults incurred earlier. Over the past two years we have identified two infants who presented with various clinical signs suggesting CMV infection. Serial CT head scans showed mild hydrocephalus progressing to extensive loss of brain substance and hydrocephalus in one and a normal scan going on to polycystic encephalomalacia in the other. Both infants had urine or leukocyte cultures that were repeatedly positive for CMV. These data suggest that CMV can cause progressive central nervous system damage after birth. The findings may account for some unexplained brain malformations and for a portion of the neurodegenerative disorders occurring in babies who appear normal at birth.