Affiliations: Department of Medicine, Metropolitan Hospital, Quito,
Ecuador | Science and Technology Process, Ministry of Public
Health, Universidad Central & Universidad de los Andes, Quito,
Ecuador | Department of Genetics, Hospital Carlos Andrade
Marín, Quito, Ecuador | Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad
de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de las Américas, Quito,
Ecuador
Note: [] Corresponding author: Fabricio González-Andrade, MD, PhD,
Department of Medicine, Metropolitan Hospital, Av. Mariana de Jesús Oe8,
Quito 170125, Ecuador. Tel.: +593 2 2070715; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective: To examine the relationship between high altitude and
microtia in Ecuador. Methods: We evaluated the epidemiological issues of
1298 cases of microtia reported in Ecuador from 2001 to 2007. It used data
arising from the Vital Statistics National Reports: Annual Survey of
Admissions and Discharges in this 7 year period. The register is national and
population based, run and funded by the government. Results: It reported
a total of 1298 cases of microtia out of 34654 cases of congenital
malformations described in the registries. The overall prevalence was
2.38/10000 admissions/discharges calculated out of 5462263 admissions. An
overall percentage (of 90.22%) were admitted before 19 years of age with the
most prevalent group between 5 to 9 years of age (31.90%). There was
progressive increase of cases every year; from 132 cases in 2001 to 304 in
2007. Total male cases in this study were 723 (55.70%) and female cases were
575 (44.30%). Tungurahua reported the highest prevalence of 18.31/10000
births, followed by Chimborazo, Azuay, Pichincha and Cotopaxi; all of them
located over 2500 meters above sea level. It found that highest prevalence was
10.21 over 2700 meters above sea level followed by 8.28 over 2800 meters above
sea level; with both having a cumulative prevalence of 8.81. Conclusion: There is a higher prevalence of microtia in patients living above 2500 meters
above sea level. This study was not able to establish a clear relationship
between microtia and different ethnic groups.
