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Regression of fetal cerebral abnormalities by primary cytomegalovirus infection following hyperimmunoglobulin therapy
Author(s) -
Nigro Giovanni,
Torre Renato La,
Pentimalli Henny,
Taverna Paola,
Lituania Mario,
de Tejada Begoňa Martinez,
Adler Stuart P.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
prenatal diagnosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.956
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1097-0223
pISSN - 0197-3851
DOI - 10.1002/pd.2013
Subject(s) - medicine , fetus , cytomegalovirus , ventriculomegaly , ultrasound , in utero , pregnancy , obstetrics , cerebral ventricle , human cytomegalovirus , pediatrics , herpesviridae , viral disease , immunology , radiology , virus , biology , genetics
Objective To assess the effects of maternal and intra‐amniotic hyperimmunoglobulin (HIG) infusions among cytomegalovirus (CMV) infected fetuses with ultrasound abnormalities following a primary CMV infection. Patients and Methods The subjects were fetuses with CMV‐associated cerebral and other ultrasound abnormalities. Three mothers were treated with HIG infusions during pregnancy and two were untreated. Fetal ventricle size, organ echodensity and placental thickness were measured by ultrasound before and after HIG infusions. The children were evaluated between 3 and 7 years of age. Results The ventriculomegaly of all three fetuses of HIG‐treated mothers regressed and the ascites, hepatic echodensities, periventricular echodensities, and intestinal echodensities disappeared. Their sensorial, mental and motor development was normal at 4, 4.7, and 7 years of age. In contrast, both infants born of untreated mothers had signs and symptoms of severe CMV cerebropathy. Conclusion The outcomes of the infants born to HIG‐treated mothers support the efficacy of HIG as a treatment for CMV‐infected fetuses with ultrasound cerebral abnormalities. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.