Paediatric Virology and its interaction between basic science and clinical practice (Review)

Mammas, Ioannis N.; Greenough, Anne; Theodoridou, Maria; Kramvis, Anna; Rusan, Maria; Melidou, Angeliki; Korovessi, Paraskevi; Papaioannou, Georgia; Papatheodoropoulou, Alexia; Koutsaftiki, Chryssie; Liston, Maria; Sourvinos, George; Spandidos, Demetrios A.

If maternal viral infection is suspected, combining prenatal ultrasound and fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may document the extent of tissue damage and therefore contribute to treatment and counselling (84) . Neonatal head ultrasound, sometimes computed tomography (cT), but mainly MRI (Figs. 1 and 2 ) may reveal sequelae from congenital viral infections (i.e., microcephaly, dystrophic periventricular calcifications, brain atrophy), which may even suggest the causative virus, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) (85) . In previously healthy neonates with viral infection, the imaging investigation of cNS begins with head ultrasound and if further imaging investigation is required, MRI is the modality of choice, even in an emergency setting (86) . Non-complicated meningitis is easier to be recognised clinically; however, since complications of meningitis, such as abscesses, infarcts, venous thrombosis, or extra-axial empyemas are difficult to diagnose clinically, imaging plays a crucial role (87) .