Late-Onset Sensorineural Hearing Loss Due to Asymptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection Retrospectively Diagnosed by Polymerase Chain Reaction Using Preserved Umbilical Cord

Abstract

Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common neurological sequel of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Congenital CMV infection is considered to be res pon sible for 15% to 25% of hearing loss among children in the United States. Hearing loss in children with congenital CMV infection often presents at birth, but it can develop after months or even years. Although there have been reports on late-onset hearing loss by 6 years of age, the onset of hearing loss beyond 6 years has rarely been reported. Virologic proof is not always easy in patients with asymptomatic congenital CMV infection beyond infancy. However, there have been several reports on retrospective diagnosis of congenital CMV infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for umbilical cord or blood stored on a Guthrie card. We report a boy with onset of hearing loss at 9 years of age, in whom congenital CMV infection was retrospectively proven by PCR with the use of preserved umbilical cord.