Gastrointestinal presentation and outcome of perinatal cytomegalovirus infection.

A term infant presented at birth with bilious vomiting and abdominal distension. Multiple investigations were undertaken, including two laparotomies and a rectal biopsy, as no obvious cause for his symptoms could be found. This included testing for human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection as part of a TORCH screen, which was negative at 10 days of age. However, a repeat screen at 3 weeks of age demonstrated positive findings of CMV in both urine and blood PCR. This subsequently led to the diagnosis of gastrointestinal pseudoobstruction associated with perinatal CMV infection. This case is of interest though there is limited information regarding the recognition of gastrointestinal symptoms in relation to CMV infection. This report aims to highlight our experience with an infant with perinatal CMV infection and severe gastrointestinal symptoms.