[Ganciclovir treatment of congenital cytomegalovirus infection].

The authors present the cases of two infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection, who to the best of the authors' knowledge were the first ones to receive ganciclovir treatment in Hungary. Both infants were treated for symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection affecting the central nervous system. Ganciclovir was given intravenously in two phases, for a total of 4 and 6 weeks, in a daily dose of 5-10 mg/kg. Diagnosis of infection and follow-up of treatment efficacy was based on the quantitative assessment by PCR assay of viral nucleic acid in blood and urine samples. Treatment resulted in substantial reduction of viral copy numbers in both infants' blood and urine samples. Improvement in the biochemical markers of disease activity was accompanied with spectacular improvement of clinical symptoms in the infant with severe liver involvement. Following the treatment viral loads increased in both infant but clinical symptoms did not reoccur. In one patient a considerable improvement of hearing loss was observed. The authors' first results indicate that ganciclovir treatment of neonatal cytomegalovirus infection represents a promising approach in preventing the progression of the disease and in ameliorating the consequences.