Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: CMV (cytomegalovirus) is associated with several developmental disorders. The incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection is around 1%, depending on the region. Previous prospective studies have shown that certain ultrasound findings are predictive factors for prenatal C...

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Main Authors: Virág Bartek, Artur Beke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Children
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/607
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author Virág Bartek
Artur Beke
author_facet Virág Bartek
Artur Beke
author_sort Virág Bartek
collection DOAJ
description Background/Objectives: CMV (cytomegalovirus) is associated with several developmental disorders. The incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection is around 1%, depending on the region. Previous prospective studies have shown that certain ultrasound findings are predictive factors for prenatal CMV infection. Methods: During this systematic review, we searched PubMed and Embas. Out of 569 results, 19 met our search criteria (we included cases where prenatally positive amniocentesis PCR for CMV was performed or autopsy confirmed the CMV diagnosis). A total of 237 cases were reported from 19 studies. Results: In 64 cases, abortion or perinatal death occurred. The most common prenatal abnormalities were small for gestational age (n = 47), ventriculomegaly (n = 51), and hyperechogenic bowels (n = 39). A subependymal cyst was the most common prenatal MRI abnormality (n = 20). Hearing loss was observed in 61 cases (42 mild, 19 severe). Among prenatal signs, we found a correlation between hearing loss and ventriculomegaly (Fisher’s exact test, <i>p</i> = 0.0052). The most common neurological complication was speech delay. We were able to demonstrate a prenatal association with neurological complications and subependymal cyst (Fisher’s exact test, <i>p</i> = 0.00003547), but this pattern could only be reliably seen with MRI. Conclusions: In prenatally diagnosed CMV infection, ultrasound signals may be suitable for estimating the outcome. Conducting a prospective study and establishing a score would be worthwhile for its clinical application. In cases of ultrasound abnormalities and suspicion of CMV, it is worth performing a prenatal MRI, even in everyday practice.
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spelling doaj-art-150954aef8464102a619ed4d43648cf22025-08-20T03:14:39ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-05-0112560710.3390/children12050607Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic ReviewVirág Bartek0Artur Beke1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, HungaryBackground/Objectives: CMV (cytomegalovirus) is associated with several developmental disorders. The incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection is around 1%, depending on the region. Previous prospective studies have shown that certain ultrasound findings are predictive factors for prenatal CMV infection. Methods: During this systematic review, we searched PubMed and Embas. Out of 569 results, 19 met our search criteria (we included cases where prenatally positive amniocentesis PCR for CMV was performed or autopsy confirmed the CMV diagnosis). A total of 237 cases were reported from 19 studies. Results: In 64 cases, abortion or perinatal death occurred. The most common prenatal abnormalities were small for gestational age (n = 47), ventriculomegaly (n = 51), and hyperechogenic bowels (n = 39). A subependymal cyst was the most common prenatal MRI abnormality (n = 20). Hearing loss was observed in 61 cases (42 mild, 19 severe). Among prenatal signs, we found a correlation between hearing loss and ventriculomegaly (Fisher’s exact test, <i>p</i> = 0.0052). The most common neurological complication was speech delay. We were able to demonstrate a prenatal association with neurological complications and subependymal cyst (Fisher’s exact test, <i>p</i> = 0.00003547), but this pattern could only be reliably seen with MRI. Conclusions: In prenatally diagnosed CMV infection, ultrasound signals may be suitable for estimating the outcome. Conducting a prospective study and establishing a score would be worthwhile for its clinical application. In cases of ultrasound abnormalities and suspicion of CMV, it is worth performing a prenatal MRI, even in everyday practice.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/607CMVprenatalinfectionultrasound
spellingShingle Virág Bartek
Artur Beke
Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review
Children
CMV
prenatal
infection
ultrasound
title Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review
title_full Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review
title_fullStr Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review
title_short Investigation of Pre- and Postnatal Abnormalities Caused by Prenatal CMV Infection—Systematic Review
title_sort investigation of pre and postnatal abnormalities caused by prenatal cmv infection systematic review
topic CMV
prenatal
infection
ultrasound
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/5/607
work_keys_str_mv AT viragbartek investigationofpreandpostnatalabnormalitiescausedbyprenatalcmvinfectionsystematicreview
AT arturbeke investigationofpreandpostnatalabnormalitiescausedbyprenatalcmvinfectionsystematicreview