Abstract
Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children. A significant proportion of children with congenital CMV infection-related SNHL experience delayed onset of hearing loss and deterioration of hearing during early childhood. Thirteen children with congenital CMV infection as identified by newborn virology test or PCR test using Guthrie cards were retrospectively investigated, and periodic hearing tests using auditory brainstem response were performed. All patients enrolled in this study visited our neurology clinic for the first time with a chief complaint of microcephaly, seizure, and/or developmental delay. Of 13 patients, 10 had SNHL, at least 5 developed SNHL within the first year, and at least 2 were late progressive. Odds ratios were calculated, and the analysis revealed that predictors of SNHL were preterm delivery, intracerebral calcifications, and cortical dysplasia. Detection of congenital CMV infection in neurologically impaired children and follow-up study of hearing is needed because of a higher probability of progression and late-onset hearing loss.
