Olfactory function in congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a prospective study

Abstract

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection leads to olfactory bulb lesions in the fetus, yet little is known about its impact on olfaction after birth. Here, we have assessed in a prospective study conducted on children in two French hospitals from 2016 to 2019, infection severity and olfactory performance after congenital CMV infection. Children with congenital CMV infection aged 3 to 10 years and healthy controls (CTL) matched for age and sex to CMV children symptomatic at birth (sCMV) were enrolled. Olfactory discrimination was assessed using mono-odorants and binary mixtures. Data were analyzed for 54 children with PCR-confirmed congenital CMV infection, including 34 sCMV (median [IQR] age, 6 [5-8] years; 19 [55.9%] male), and 20 CMV asymptomatic at birth (aCMV, median [IQR] age, 4 [3-6] years; 12 [60.0%] male). sCMV were compared to 34 CTL children. Olfactory scores in CMV-infected children were independent from vestibular deficit and hearing loss. The olfactory score was efficient to discriminate between CTL and sCMV for children > 6 years (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC, 0.85; P = 0.0006), but not for children < 7 years. For children > 6 years, the proportion of children with total olfactory score < 4 differed between sCMV and CTL groups (91.2% and 18.7%, P < 0.001), but not between aCMV and age-matched healthy control groups. Conclusion:Congenital CMV infection is associated with reduced olfactory performance in children with infection symptoms at birth.

Olfactory outcomes in Zika virus‐associated Guillain–Barré syndrome

“…Patients with ZIKV-related GBS had poorer long-term olfactory function than patients with GBS-non-Zika, and ZIKV-infected mice are hyposmic. These observations suggest that ZIKV belongs on the list of viruses affecting the olfactory system such as Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus [22,26], and several other respiratory viruses including rhinovirus, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2 [23]. Clinical evaluation of the olfactory system should be considered for ZIKVinfected patients.…”

Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: the state of the art and future perspectives

“…However, little is known regarding olfactory dysfunction in CMV-infected children, partly because it is challenging to assess olfaction in toddlers. A recent study on a small cohort of patients (34) concluded that cCMV infection is associated with reduced olfactory performance in children with infection symptoms at birth (93). This new field appears to possess relevant clinical implications as the loss of olfactory function can impact nutrition, social interaction, safety, and overall quality of life.…”