Congenital lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection: Decade of rediscovery

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is an underdiagnosed fetal terato gen. This diagnosis should be considered for infants and children with unex plained hydrocephalus, micro- or macrocephaly, intracranial calcifications, chorioretinitis, and nonimmune hydrops. The immunofluorescent antibody tes t is the only reasonable, commercially available, screening diagnostic tool . The differential diagnosis of congenital LCMV infection includes toxoplas mosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, enteroviruses, human parvovirus B12, and syphilis. The infection has also been misdiagnosed as various neurologic, ophthalmologic, and chromosomal syndromes. Further rese arch, to determine the prevalence of this infection in human and rodent pop ulations, and prospective studies, to delineate the clinical spectrum of co ngenital infection, are needed. The public and members of the medical profe ssion should be made aware of the hazard that wild, pet, and laboratory rod ents pose to pregnant women.