Retrospectively diagnosing congenital cytomegalovirus infections in symptomatic infants is challenging.

AIM: Our aim was to analyse the diagnostic workup of hospitalised infants with symptoms of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections.

METHODS

This retrospective study was carried out at the University Hospital Frankfurt, Germany, from 2008 to 2017 on infants aged 4 weeks to 12 months presenting with neurological symptoms consistent with congenital CMV infections.

RESULTS

We studied 117 infants, and workup data for CMV infections were available for 84%. Of these, 54% were immunoglobulin G- and immunoglobulin M-seronegative for CMV or immunoglobulin G-seropositive with no viral shedding. Congenital CMV infection was excluded in these cases. In 16%, the CMV workup was incomplete, precluding a definitive diagnosis. Dried blood spots (DBS) were requested from 30%. CMV polymerase chain reaction was negative in 19 of these 29 infants, and CMV deoxyribonucleic acid detection confirmed congenital CMV infections in six patients. DBS had been destroyed in line with German law in four cases. Congenital CMV infections were diagnosed (5%) or excluded (62%) in 67% of patients and unanswered in the remaining 33%.

CONCLUSION

Diagnoses of congenital CMV infections were widely considered and found in 5%. CMV was not stringently investigated in all patients or remained elusive due to German law on destroying DBS.