Screening for Congenital Cytomegalovirus: Polymerase Chain Reaction vs. Culture

PCR analysis of newborn dried blood spots had low sensitivity compared to traditional culture of saliva — the focus remains on prevention.

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is asymptomatic in close to 90% of cases, yet about 6% to 15% of such infants develop sensorineural hearing loss. The gold standard for diagnosis of congenital CMV infection is culture of urine or saliva within the first 3 weeks of life, but this method is not practical for screening. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of dried blood samples, which currently are used for numerous neonatal screens, would seem an ideal candidate for diagnosis of congenital CMV.

Investigators at seven U.S. medical centers compared the diagnostic accuracy of PCR analysis of dried blood spots and culture of saliva for congenital CMV screening in 20,000 newborns. The sensitivity of PCR was 28.3% for a single-primer …

Reviewing Author

Peggy Sue Weintrub, MD

Screening for Congenital Cytomegalovirus: Polymerase Chain Reaction vs. Culture

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Reviewing Author