CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTIONS OF THE NERVOUS-SYSTEM

Experimental evidence and pathological observation indicate that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has a tropism for cells of the nervous system, including both neuronal and glial cells. As demonstrated in animal mo dels, after a viremic phase, the virus may reach the brain, where it m ay cause mild infection or severe encephalitis. The nervous system is one of the principal target organs in congenital HCMV infections and i n HCMV-infected AIDS patients. In the former case, mortality is high a nd neurological sequelae, such as mental retardation, are frequent; in the latter it may lead to a progressively wasting encephalopathy and death within a few weeks. The diagnosis of the nervous system manifest ations due to HCMV can now rely upon the detection of HCMV DNA in cere brospinal fluid by means of polymerase chain reaction. However, the cu rrent antiviral treatments of these complications are of limited effec t.