Acute abdominal emergencies associated with cytomegalovirus infection in the young infant

Gastrointestinal signs and symptoms have rarely been reported in association with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in young infants. However, in 1981 clear pathologic evidence was presented implicating this virus as a cause of hypoganglionosis and bowel dysmotility. We report our experience with four infants with CMV infection in whom gastrointestinal dysfunction was the reason for emergency abdominal operation. Since the association was made retrospectively, we were unable to demonstrate hypoganglionosis, but our experience underscores the need to include CMV intestinal infection in the differential diagnosis of the acute surgical abdomen in young infants.