Early identification of children with autism is necessary to support their social and communicative skills and cognitive, verbal, and adaptive development. Researchers have identified several barriers to early diagnosis. Data collected in low- and middle-income contexts—where the vast majority of children in the world live—is scarce. In Ecuador, as in many other countries, estimates are lower compared to the global prevalence. Health authorities estimate a prevalence of 0.28% (0.18%–0.41%) in children aged five years old or less. Based on the hypothesis that, as in many parts of the world, children in Ecuador are not routinely screened and that this situation may result from poor recognition of this condition, our objective was to identify potential obstacles to case identification in pediatric settings. Several barriers, consistent with those identified in other countries, were reported by 153 participants on a survey, including lack of time, lack of resources to refer, fear of unnecessarily alarming families, and lack of information to guide families with concerns. The vast majority of participants are aware of the need for a screening tool for autism detection but report a lack of knowledge of its formal application. Most of the barriers reported in this study could be overcome by educational programs tailored to professional needs in order to support the well-being of children with autism and their families.

The objective of the present study was to determine rotavirus etiology and prevalence of the different rotavirus serotypes in Ecuadorian children younger than 5 years of age with gastroenteritis. Children (729) less than 5 years of age with acute diarrhea from either public or private primary health care centers in 10 different provinces of Ecuador, between March 2006 and August 2006 were included in the study. Rotavirus infection was diagnosed using a commercial immunoenzymatic test. Rotavirus isolated from stool samples was genotyped. Rotavirus was detected in the feces of 269 of the 729 children (37%) with diarrhea. The most prevalent G genotypes were G9 (46.1%) and G2 (27.2%), while the predominant P genotypes were P[8] (57%) and P[4] (29.5%). Among the single infections, the predominant P/G combinations were: P[8]G9 (56.9%) and P[4]G2 (32.6%). The present countrywide survey is one of the major studies for one single season in Latin America and the first in its class in Ecuador. The value of expanding laboratory capability throughout Latin America in order to monitor rotavirus strains over time, with special attention directed at those strains obtained from children who experience vaccine failure, is critical. Only continuous monitoring of rotavirus disease burden and genotype surveillance will provide this information.

Pleuropulmonary blastoma is an uncommon paediatric neoplasm. Approximately 300 cases have been reported. In seven tumours, extension involved the left heart. Type III occurs typically at ages 3 or 4 years. We report this very unusual case of extensive disease in a 16-month old male patient. Chest computerized tomography revealed a mass extending into the right hemithorax from the posterior mediastinum and propagating inside the left atrium through the right pulmonary veins. Echocardiography showed a huge flexible mass occupying almost all of the left atrium cavity and intermittently prolapsing through the mitral valve. Two preoperative chemotherapy courses of ifosfamide, vincristine, actinomycin D and doxorubicin were administered at 3-week intervals. The patient was placed on cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac arrest and the left atrium was opened. The tumour and orifice of the inferior right pulmonary vein were resected and the normal free borders reconstructed. A large mass occupying the right pleural space was removed. Seven additional courses of chemotherapy were given. In a 'second-look' surgery 6 months later, through a right thoracotomy, the residual mass at the posterior mediastinum was resected. The child received four additional courses of chemotherapy. After 12 months of the initial resection, there is no evidence of recurrence.

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We report a 10-day-old newborn, weighing 2.9 kg with an interrupted left aortic arch type B, a large subarterial ventricular septal defect and a right ductus connecting the right pulmonary artery to an isolated right subclavian artery. The patient underwent successful total surgical repair and the isolated right subclavian artery was ligated. He was discharged from hospital without complication and maintains excellent perfusion to the right arm via collaterals.