Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy As A Clinical Component of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection

Abstract

We report hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a newborn with congenital cytomegalovirus infection. The neonate had distinct signs of congenital cytomegalovirus infection including petechiae, jaundice, intracranial calcifications, cerebral ventriculomegaly and chorioretinitis together with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Following determination of anti-cytomegalovirus IgM, viral DNA was also isolated from the plasma of the patient by polymerase chain reaction. Although cytomegalovirus is a relatively frequent cause of myocarditis in childhood, it was rarely reported to be associated with cardiac abnormalities such as structural heart disease, atrioventricular block, or dilated cardiomyopathy. To our knowledge, this is the first case with congenital cytomegalovirus infection and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Congenital CMV, Lights and Shadows on Its Management: The Experience of a Reference Center in Northern Italy

“…Nevertheless, the three cases of congenital cardiopathy are a peculiarity of our population. Only four isolated case reports of cardiomyopathy linked to cCMV infection were reported in the literature [27][28][29][30]. Although CMV is a relatively frequent cause of myocarditis in childhood, studies on the relationship between cCMV and cardiac involvement are lacking.…”