Vestibular and postural impairment in congenital Cytomegalovirus infection

Vestibular Follow-up Program for Congenital Cytomegalovirus Based on 6 Years of Longitudinal Data Collection

OBJECTIVES

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), the leading nongenetic cause of pediatric sensorineural hearing loss, can also affect vestibular function. Literature findings suggest clinical presentation of vestibular loss in cCMV to be as variable as the hearing loss. Still, probably due to the considerable additional burden it entails for both patients and diagnostic centers, longitudinal vestibular follow-up in cCMV is not well-established in clinical practice. Therefore, this study aims to propose an evidence-based vestibular follow-up program with proper balance between its feasibility and sensitivity.

DESIGN

In this longitudinal cohort study, 185 cCMV-patients (mean age 3.2 years, SD 1.6 years, range 0.5-6.7 years) were included. Vestibular follow-up data were obtained through lateral video head impulse test (vHIT) and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP) evaluations around the ages of 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Around 3 and 4.5 years of age, data from vertical vHIT and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) were also collected.

RESULTS

At birth, 55.1% (102/185) of patients were asymptomatic and 44.9% (83/185) were symptomatic. The mean duration of follow-up for all patients was 20.8 (SD 16.3) months (mean number of follow-up assessments: 3.2, SD 1.5). Vestibular loss occurred at some point during follow-up in 16.8% (31/185) of all patients. Six percent (10/164) of patients with normal vestibular function at first assessment developed delayed-onset vestibular loss; 80.0% (8/10) of these within the first 2 years of life. Vestibular deterioration was reported both in patients who had been treated with postnatal antiviral therapy and untreated patients. At final evaluation, both the semicircular and the otolith system were impaired in the majority of vestibular-impaired ears (29/36, 80.6%). Dysfunctions limited to the semicircular system or the otolith system were reported in 4 (4/36, 11.1%) and 3 (3/36, 8.3%) ears, respectively. The occurrence of vestibular loss was highest in patients with first trimester seroconversion (16/59, 27.1%) or with an unknown timing of seroconversion (13/71, 18.3%), patients with sensorineural hearing loss (16/31, 51.6%), and patients with periventricular cysts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (7/11, 63.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Longitudinal vestibular follow-up, most intensively during the first 2 years of life, is recommended in cCMV-patients with vestibular risk factors (first trimester or unknown timing of seroconversion; sensorineural hearing loss; periventricular cysts on MRI). If those risk factors can be ruled out, a single evaluation early in life (around 6 months of age) might be sufficient. Both semicircular and otolith system evaluation should be part of the follow-up program, as partial losses were reported.

Perinatal Cytomegalovirus Infection

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There have been recent advances in the field of congenital CMV infection (cCMV) related to antiviral treatment of pregnant women and infants, the implementation of newborn CMV screening programs, and the frequency and diagnosis of complications among infected children. In addition, postnatal CMV infection (pCMV) is increasingly recognized as a potential cause of long-term sequelae in addition to acute complications among preterm infants, raising important questions related to treatment, and prevention.

RECENT FINDINGS

High-dose valacyclovir appears to be safe and effective for the prevention of cCMV among women with first-trimester primary CMV infection. New studies reveal high rates of vestibular dysfunction and neuropsychiatric manifestations among children with cCMV. Some studies report associations between pCMV and long-term consequences, including neurodevelopmental delay and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, among very low birth weight infants, in addition to high risk of sepsis and death acutely, which has motivated efforts to eliminate the virus from breast milk by different methods.

SUMMARY

More long-term complications of cCMV are increasingly recognized among children previously thought to be asymptomatic. Although a preventive CMV vaccine may be achievable, strategies to reduce the burden of cCMV disease include maternal education about risk-reduction behaviors, antiviral treatment of pregnant women with primary infection, and newborn screening to allow timely, appropriate care. Similarly, although it remains unclear if pCMV causes long-term problems, there is growing interest in identifying and preventing disease from CMV infections among preterm infants.