CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION

Five cases of congenital cytomegalovirus infection are presented. In the three cases studied by virologic and immunologic techniques, it was demonstrated that complement-fixing antibody titers are low in contrast to the postnatally acquired infection. In 2 of the 3 cases the quantitative immunodiffusion titers for IgM immunoglobulins were not elevated. The lack of an adequate serologic test for congenital cytomegalovirus infection and the failure of an absolute correlation between elevated quantitative IgM levels and congenital infection stress the essentiality of virus isolation techniques as well as clinical acuity in delineating the natural history of congenital cytomegalovirus infection. © 1969.