¿La prevalencia de aneurismas cerebrales cambia con la altitud geográfica? Estudio retrospectivo en Ecuador

Introduction

The prevalence of cerebral aneurysms varies between 2% and 4% in the general population. Studies suggest that living in high altitude regions (>2500 m) reduces the risk of developing a stroke. However, the prevalence of cerebral aneurysms and the risk of their rupture in high-altitude populations have not yet been determined.

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of cerebral aneurysms in the population treated at neurology department of the Carlos Andrade Marín Hospital in Quito (city located at 2850 m).

Patients and methods

Retrospective observational study, in patients older than 18 years with a diagnosis of cerebral aneurysm treated between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018, with ICD-10 codes I67.1 and I60.0. Demographic and imaging variables were analyzed.

Results

A total of 8390 patients were attended, of which 450 were diagnosed with cerebral aneurysm. The prevalence in the 9-year period was 5.3%, it was higher in women and in ages between 50 and 59 years. A single aneurysm was identified in 76.5% of cases, 4.3% were ruptured aneurysms and 1.04% were unruptured. Small aneurysms (<7 mm) were the most frequent.

Conclusion

The prevalence and characteristics of cerebral aneurysms in patients treated in Quito, a high-altitude city, were similar to those reported in the literature. Further investigations are needed to determine the influence of high altitudes on the epidemiology of this disease.