Prenatal Ultrasound Findings of Pregnancy Associated with Zika Virus Infection

Radiological findings in fetuses after zika infection

“…After the outbreak of the Zika Virus in Brazil in 2015 the Brazilian health authorities noticed an increase on microcephaly suspected to be related to the ongoing epidemic, described as the emergence of a new teratogenic agent, ZIKV [1].Although described since 1947 in Uganda only with a large number of patients the neurological malformation cases were possible to be studied [2].…”

“…Zika is anarboviruses of the Flaviridea family and can be transmitted by arthropods, blood products, sexual intercourse, and potentially by breastfeeding and saliva [1,2]. In 80% of cases its infection is asymp- This article is available at: www.intarchmed.com and www.medbrary.com 2 tomatic, when noted the symptoms are unspecific as other viral diseases: low grade fever, pruritic maculo-papular rash, asthenia, arthralgia, myalgia, conjunctivitis, edema, retro-orbital pain [1,2]; in the worse cases, in signs and symptoms overlapping with those of Guillain-Barre symdrom [3].…”

“…As the ZIKV emerges as a teratogenic agent the scientific population agrees that it should be treated as the other TORCH agents, congenital infections, highlighting that not all fetuses will be affected but it should be prevented and analyzed during pregnancy with radiological findings [1]. To the day, the Zika virus infection during pregnancy has been associated with early and late miscarriages, stillbirths, intrauterine growth restriction, hydropsfetalis and cerebral fetal malformations [1,2,3,4,5].…”

“…And due to immobility, it can be seen arthrogryposis and club feet [5,7,8]. After the birth the post-natal findings correlates and are equivalent with prenatal ones [7], the radiological monitoring of exposed women should be conducted with basic Ultrasound monitoring evaluating: biometry of head, notice if there are any abnormal gyral patterns, intracranial calcification, cataract or microphthalmia [2]. And in cases of fetal microcephaly a fetal neurosonogram or MRI should be applied, remembering that microcephaly is a post natal clinical finding that can be suspected by prenatal evaluation [1,2].…”