Ferenc T, Vujica M, Mrzljak A, Vilibic-Cavlek T. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus: An under-recognized congenital teratogen. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10(25): 8922-8931 [PMID: 36157656 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i25.8922]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Anna Mrzljak, FEBG, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Kišpatićeva 12, Zagreb 10000, Croatia. anna.mrzljak@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Virology
Article-Type of This Article
Systematic Reviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Sep 6, 2022; 10(25): 8922-8931 Published online Sep 6, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i25.8922
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus: An under-recognized congenital teratogen
Thomas Ferenc, Mateja Vujica, Anna Mrzljak, Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek
Thomas Ferenc, Department of Radiology, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Mateja Vujica, Department of Emergency Medicine, Institute of Emergency Medicine of Krapina-Zagorje County, Krapina 49000, Croatia
Anna Mrzljak, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Anna Mrzljak, Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek, Department of Virology, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb 10000, Croatia
Author contributions: Ferenc T conceived the study, performed the literature review and data acquisition, and wrote the original draft; Vujica M reviewed the literature, performed the data acquisition, and contributed to the manuscript drafting; Mrzljak A and Vilibic-Cavlek T made contributions to the concept of the study and revised the manuscript critically; All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: All authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Anna Mrzljak, FEBG, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Kišpatićeva 12, Zagreb 10000, Croatia. anna.mrzljak@gmail.com
Received: April 7, 2022 Peer-review started: April 7, 2022 First decision: June 16, 2022 Revised: June 21, 2022 Accepted: July 11, 2022 Article in press: July 11, 2022 Published online: September 6, 2022
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a rodent-borne arenavirus that can be transmitted transplacentally and cause congenital infection.
Research motivation
Data on LCMV infection are scarce.
Research objectives
To summarize the epidemiological, clinical, and diagnostic features of reported patients with congenital LCMV infection.
Research methods
A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and Researchgate using ‘congenital lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus’ keywords.
Research results
In this mini-review, 48 studies (original research articles, review articles, and case reports) describing 86 children with congenital LCMV infection from 1955 to 2021 were included. Patients were from England (the first reported case), United States, Germany, Lithuania, France, and Canada. The main clinical presentations were chorioretinitis (83.53%), hydrocephalus (54.12%), and psychomotor retardation or developmental delay (54.12%). The most common findings on computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging scans were ventriculomegaly (74.07%) and periventricular calcifications (66.67%). Congenitally infected children showed a mortality rate of 16.47%, with four terminated pregnancies and one intrauterine death.
Research conclusions
Children with congenital LCMV infection mainly presented with neurologic symptoms and long-term developmental disorders. LCMV should be considered in the differential diagnosis in cases of unresolved fetal hydrocephalus and/or chorioretinitis.
Research perspectives
Further studies on congenital LCMV infections are needed to determine the prevalence and clinical significance of this neglected viral pathogen.
