Affiliations: Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, St. Paul, MN, USA | Deptartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Minnesota
School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Abstract: PURPOSE: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading cause of congenital
encephalopathy and cerebral palsy (CP). In this study we report the severity of
disability in individuals who developed CP secondary to symptomatic congenital
CMV encephalopathy. METHODS: The medical records of patients with CP
secondary to symptomatic congenital CMV encephalopathy diagnosed from 1995 to
2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Gross Motor Functional Classification Scale
(GMFCS) level, language function, and swallowing function were collected. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were found. Of those 23 patients,
83% (19/23) were at a GMFCS level IV or V, 9% (2/23) each GMFCS level II
or III and none (0%) at GMFCS I. Eighteen patients were non-verbal, 3 had
minimal to moderate verbal skills and 2 had no verbal impairment. Eighteen
patients also had severe dysphagia requiring gastrostomy tube (GT) feedings,
and 5 ate orally. There was a strong correlation between the severity of GMFCS
and having a gastrostomy tube (p< 0.0006) and GMFCS and verbal skills
(p< 0.0023). CONCLUSION: This study shows that patients with CP
secondary to symptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus encephalopathy have a very
high risk of having severe physical and cognitive disabilities. This
information can help healthcare providers and caregivers plan for the potential
long-term medical, rehabilitation, and financial needs of this group of patients.
Keywords: Cerebral palsy, cytomegalovirus, encephalopathy, gross motor function classification system
