377 of patients in the
.wes
treatment
BENZOTHIADIAZIDES AND NEONATAL
of chondrocalcinosis articu-
HYPOGLYCÆMIA
3ris.
Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases,
E. E. SMITH A. ST.J. DIXON
Bath BA1 1RL
INFANTILE SPASMS AND CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION
SIR,-Cytomegalovirus (C.M.V.) is a neurotropic virus, as by the periventricular calcification, cerebral damage, inental retardation, and deafness in congenital cytomegalic disease. But the significance of C.M.V. in infantile spasms (t.s.) has shown
seldom been taken into account. Feldman and Schwartz’ reported the isolation of c.M.v. in three cases of I.S., but it was not ascertained whether the infection was congenital or acquired. Since then, no similar cases seem to have been
reported.
,
’
’
,
We had the opportunity to confirm the findings of Feldman and Schwartz and, moreover, to find some immunological data which point to the possibility that acquired primary c.M.v. infection may present with this clinical picture. Three infants, aged 6, 8, and 7 months, whose previous psychomotor development was normal, had been recently vaccinated respectively with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, diphtheria-tetanus, and oral trivalent polio vaccine. I.S. appeared 1-3 weeks after immunisation and the children were admitted to hospital. Electroencephalography showed the presence ofhypsarrhythmia, and treatment began with phenobarbitone and corticotrophin. The spasms disappeared in 10-15 days, and the E.E.G. progressively returned to normal in 30-60 days. c.M.v. was isolated from urine and/or saliva in all three cases immediately after admission to hospital. In the first, seroconversion (from
.wes
treatment
BENZOTHIADIAZIDES AND NEONATAL
of chondrocalcinosis articu-
HYPOGLYCÆMIA
3ris.
Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases,
E. E. SMITH A. ST.J. DIXON
Bath BA1 1RL
INFANTILE SPASMS AND CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION
SIR,-Cytomegalovirus (C.M.V.) is a neurotropic virus, as by the periventricular calcification, cerebral damage, inental retardation, and deafness in congenital cytomegalic disease. But the significance of C.M.V. in infantile spasms (t.s.) has shown
seldom been taken into account. Feldman and Schwartz’ reported the isolation of c.M.v. in three cases of I.S., but it was not ascertained whether the infection was congenital or acquired. Since then, no similar cases seem to have been
reported.
,
’
’
,
We had the opportunity to confirm the findings of Feldman and Schwartz and, moreover, to find some immunological data which point to the possibility that acquired primary c.M.v. infection may present with this clinical picture. Three infants, aged 6, 8, and 7 months, whose previous psychomotor development was normal, had been recently vaccinated respectively with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, diphtheria-tetanus, and oral trivalent polio vaccine. I.S. appeared 1-3 weeks after immunisation and the children were admitted to hospital. Electroencephalography showed the presence ofhypsarrhythmia, and treatment began with phenobarbitone and corticotrophin. The spasms disappeared in 10-15 days, and the E.E.G. progressively returned to normal in 30-60 days. c.M.v. was isolated from urine and/or saliva in all three cases immediately after admission to hospital. In the first, seroconversion (from
