CONGENITAL CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION IN OFFSPRING OF LIVER-TRANSPLANTRECIPIENTS

There has been an increasing number of women undergoing liver transpla ntation during their childbearing years, As the number of pregnancies among these women increases, complications during pregnancy and risks to the fetus associated with liver transplantation will be better defi ned, We report three cases of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in offsp ring of liver transplant recipients, Two of these recipients had prete rm labor and gave birth at similar to 23 weeks' gestation; both neonat es had clinical (hydrops fetalis), laboratory, and placental evidence of CMV infection, The third recipient gave birth at 26 weeks' gestatio n because of severe preeclampsia, and the neonate died at 12 days of a ge of CMV sepsis, Placental CMV infection was confirmed in this case b y polymerase chain reaction analysis, which is a valuable tool for pro spectively or retrospectively diagnosing this infection, Our findings indicate that CMV infection poses a significant risk to offspring of l iver transplant recipients.