Prevalence of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia in a Medical Care Program Organization in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Introduction: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant vascular dysplasia that might affect 1/5000-10 000 individuals worldwide. It is a rare and underdiagnosed condition. Population-based epidemiological studies are crucial for comprehending and quantifying the impact of this disease. We aim to estimate the prevalence in a Prepaid Health Care System of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed, which included all patients over 18 years of age affiliated with the Hospital Italiano Medical Care Program (IHMCP), a prepaid health maintenance organization (HMO) of Buenos Aires. For case inclusion, individuals were required to have a clinical diagnosis of HHT. Case detection included the search in our Institutional Registry. The prevalence was calculated by dividing the number of cases of HHT by the total number of all active affiliates at January 2023. Age and gender specific prevalence rates were estimated.

Results: 48 cases were reported. The prevalence was 3.2 in 10 000 (IC 95% 2.4-4.2). Specific prevalence in women was 3.9 in 10 000 (IC 95% 2.8-5.5) and in men 2.1 in 10 000 (IC 95% 1.2-3.6). The average age was 54.8 (19), 35 patients were women (72.9%) with an average age of 55 (19.9), and 55 (17.2) for men. The most common referrals were physicians (60.4%) followed by family history (18.7%). The 48 patients corresponded to 39 families.

Discussion: The prevalence identified in our study is higher than the one documented in other studies.