Investigation of the role of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in the etiology of enlarged vestibular aqueducts.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is an etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA). DESIGN Two different cohort studies. Subjects The study population comprised 19 subjects with a history of congenital CMV infection and sensorineural hearing loss (cohort 1); 39 subjects with nonsyndromic EVA and their unaffected mothers (cohort 2); and 16 control subjects with EVA associated with Pendred syndrome and bi-allelic mutations of the SLC26A4 gene and their unaffected mothers. RESULTS In cohort 1, we detected EVA in 0 of 19 subjects with congenital CMV infection and sensorineural hearing loss. In cohort 2, anti-CMV serologic profiles were consistent with possible congenital CMV infection in 10 (26%) of 39 subjects with nonsyndromic EVA and 6 (38%) of 16 control subjects with Pendred syndrome (P = .52). These seroprevalence rates are similar to those expected in the general population (40%). CONCLUSION In spite of their auditory phenotypic similarities, congenital CMV infection is not a significant factor in the etiology of EVA.