Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Diagnosis

Doctors may order blood tests for babies with low birth weight, jaundice, small brains or other problems that can be associated with congenital CMV, but can also be caused by other things. The diagnosis needs to be confirmed by testing blood or tissue from the infant within three weeks of birth.

Young, healthy adults usually do not need to be tested because they do not need to be treated specifically for CMV. They usually recover over a period of weeks. In some instances, blood tests may be done to confirm the cause of the illness, since similar symptoms can be caused by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and even human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Tests may also be needed to monitor blood levels and liver inflammation. Occasionally, ultrasound testing is needed to monitor the liver or spleen.

For people with HIV/AIDS who have a severely weakened immune system, or for people who have had an organ or bone marrow transplant, the diagnosis of CMV usually requires a detailed physical exam and blood tests. Depending on the symptoms, urine and stool samples may be tested. Sometimes, a biopsy of the affected organ, such as the lung or colon, is needed to confirm the diagnosis.