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Review
. 2020 Sep 3;20(11):49.
doi: 10.1007/s11910-020-01072-0.

Congenital Zika Virus Infection: a Review with Emphasis on the Spectrum of Brain Abnormalities

Leão Vhp  1 , M M Aragão  1 , R S Pinho  1 , A N Hazin  2 , A R Paciorkowski  3 , A C Penalva de Oliveira  4 , Marcelo Rodrigues Masruha  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Congenital Zika Virus Infection: a Review with Emphasis on the Spectrum of Brain Abnormalities

Leão Vhp et al. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: In 2016, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern following a cluster of associated neurological disorders and neonatal malformations. Our aim is to review the clinical and neuroimaging findings seen in congenital Zika syndrome.

Recent findings: ZIKV injures neural progenitor cells in the hippocampus, a brain region important for learning, memory, cognition, and emotion/stress response. Positron emission tomography has revealed global neuroinflammation in ZIKV infection in animal models. Congenital Zika syndrome is associated with a spectrum of brain abnormalities, including microcephaly, parenchymal calcifications, malformations of cortical development and defective neuronal migration, corpus callosum abnormalities, ventriculomegaly, and brainstem and cerebellar abnormalities.

Keywords: Microcephaly; Neuroimaging; Zika virus; Zika virus infection.

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Conflict of interest statement

Leão VHP, Aragão MM, Pinho RS, Hazin AN, Paciorkowski AR, Penalva de Oliveira AC, and Masruha, MR each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Brain images of infants diagnosed with CZS. CT scan slices: images a, c, i, j, and k. MRI images: b, d, e, f, g, h, k, and l. a (CT) and b (MRI): coarse and punctate calcifications at the cortico-subcortical junction, predominating in the frontal lobes. c: basal ganglia calcifications. d: marked microcephaly with redundant scalp skin in the occipital region. e: marked dilatation of supratentorial ventricular system, simplified gyral pattern of the brain, and prominence of the subarachnoid space in the frontal regions. f: malformations of cortical development compatible with polymicrogyria in the frontal lobes with sparing of posterior cortical areas. g: thin/hypoplastic corpus callosum. h: short corpus callosum with dysgenetic aspect. i and j: tetraventricular dilatation, simplified gyral pattern of the brain, cerebellar and pons hypoplasia, and cortico-subcortical and periventricular calcifications. k: asymmetric cerebellar hypoplasia with greater involvement of the right hemisphere, marked dilatation of the lateral ventricles with thinning of cerebral mantle, and prominence of cisterna magna. l: severe cerebellar hypoplasia
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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