Hepatitis in pre-school children: prevalent role of cytomegalovirus.

Virological and serological investigations were performed on 8 children with clinical and/or laboratory signs of hepatitis. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) appeared as the most frequently involved etiologic agent, since it was associated with 5 severe or chronically-evolving cases. Out of the other 3 patients with non-CMV associated hepatitis, all completely recovering, two had clinically typical Epstein-Barr virus infections, while the remaining patient had an asymptomatic HBV infection.