Does Isolated Hearing Loss Due to Congenital CMV Improve with Antiviral Therapy?

Nearly 70% of impaired ears tested normal after 12 months of valganciclovir therapy in a small, observational study.

Sensory neural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common symptom of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) and can accompany other central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities or occur in isolation. Recommendations for antiviral treatment of congenital CMV do not include infants with isolated SNHL (NEJM JW Infect Dis April 2015 and N Engl J Med 2015; 372:931).

In a retrospective study conducted in Israel, researchers examined outcomes in infants with isolated SNHL who received 12 months of antiviral therapy for congenital CMV. Infants had an abnormal hearing test at birth, no other CNS abnormalities, and at least 12 months of follow-up.

Of the 80 ears assessed (38 infants with unilateral SNHL, and 21 with bilateral [42 ears]), 55 (69%) showed improvement (all …

Reviewing Author

Deborah Lehman, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Deborah Lehman, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Does Isolated Hearing Loss Due to Congenital CMV Improve with Antiviral Therapy?

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Reviewing Author