Challenging problems of congenital cytomegalovirus infection therapy: case study

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus infection is the most common congenital infection, causing development disorders of the fetus’ nervous system. The article describes two clinical cases of congenital cytomegalovirus infection, which highlight the crucial importance of an early administration of direct antiviral drugs (ganciclovir, valgancyclovir) for the generalized manifest forms of infection. The first clinical case study (a girl, most likely infected at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy) deals with the development of the classic triad of severe congenital CMV infection (small weight for gestational age, direct hyperbilirubinemia and petechial rash). Given that the intrauterine developmental anomalies specific for CMV were detected in the fetus on the 32nd week of pregnancy during her mother’s comprehensive test examination, the treatment of the infant girl with ganciclovir could have started immediately after her birth. The second clinical case study describes a congenital generalized cytomegalovirus infection in a child with malformations of internal organs and the central nervous system. The described two clinical cases of congenital cytomegalovirus infection highlight the crucial importance of ganciclovir and point to the fact that the isolated use of hyperimmune immunoglobulin does not stop the progression of the disease. The chance of a favorable outcome of the disease is much higher if the clinical diagnosis is established as early as possible after the birth of the child and etiotropic therapy is fully administered.