Background Yearly, up to 1 million patients worldwide suffer from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). In Ecuador, CL affects an estimated 5000 patients annually. CL leads to reduced Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) as a result of stigma in the Asian and Mediterranean contexts, but research is lacking for Ecuador. The objective of this study was to explore the influence of CL suspected lesions on the quality of life of patients in the Pacific and Amazon regions. Methods Patients for this study were included in the Amazonian Napo, Pastaza, and Morona Santiago provinces and the Pacific region of the Pichincha province. Participating centers offered free of charge CL treatment. All patients suspected of CL and referred for a cutaneous smear slide microscopy examination were eligible. This study applied the Skindex-29 questionnaire, a generic tool to measure HRQL in patients with skin diseases. All statistical analysis was done with SPSS Statistics version 28. Results The skindex-29 questionnaire was completed adequately by 279 patients who were included in this study. All patient groups from the Amazon scored significantly (P < 0.01) higher (indicating worse HRQL) on all the dimensions of the Skindex-29 questionnaire than Mestizo patients from the Pacific region. The percentage of patients with health seeking delay of less than a month was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in the Amazon region (38%) than in the Pacific (66%). Conclusions The present study revealed that the influence of suspected CL lesions on the HRQL of patients in the Ecuadorian Amazon and Pacific depends on the geographic region more than on patient characteristics such as gender, age, number of lesions, lesion type, location of lesions, health seeking delay, or posterior confirmation of the Leishmania parasite. The health seeking delay in the Amazon might result from a lack of health infrastructure or related stigma. Together, the impaired HRQL and prolonged health seeking delay in the Amazon lead to prolonged suffering and a worse health outcome. Determinants of health seeking delay should be clarified in future studies and CL case finding must be improved. Moreover, HRQL analysis in other CL endemic regions could improve local health management.

ResumenIntroducción: Los casos de tiroides ectópica localizados en la base de la lengua son anormalidades congénitas raras y difíciles de diagnosticar. Razón de presentación del caso.Caso Clínico: El caso corresponde a una mujer de 41 años con tiroides en base de la lengua diagnosticada incidentalmente con tomografía computarizada (TC), con antecedentes de hipotiroidismo y cáncer de mama derecha. Al examen físico de cuello no se palpa glándula tiroidea ni se observa masa o protuberancia en cavidad bucal. Por control del cáncer de mama, se solicita tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET) y ecografía de cuello, reportándose captación del radiofármaco en la región cervical anterior y superior de cuello, y ausencia de tejido glandular tiroideo a nivel habitual, respectivamente. Por cuanto, se realiza TC simple y contrastada observándose a nivel de la raíz de la lengua una imagen nodular hipercaptante que mide 23x20x20 mm, bien definida, contornos regulares, no infiltra tejidos adyacentes, impronta luz de la orofaringe, sin individualizar la glándula tiroides a nivel habitual, corroborando así el diagnóstico de tiroides ectópica lingual.Conclusión: El diagnóstico de tiroides ectópica en paciente adulto hipotiroideo es raro, por lo que debe considerarse la realización de TC si al examen físico y ecográfico no es palpable ni observable.Palabras Claves: DISGENESIAS TIROIDEAS, TIROIDES LINGUAL, TOMOGRAFÍA COMPUTARIZADA POR RAYOS X, ECUADOR. Copyright Tufiño, et al. Este artículo es distribuido bajo los términos de Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 , el cual permite el uso y redistribución citando la fuente y al autor original. AbstractIntroduction: Cases of ectopic thyroid located at the base of the tongue are rare and difficult to diagnose congenital abnormalities. Reason for presenting the case.Clinical case: The case corresponds to a 41-year-old woman with thyroid based on the tongue diagnosed incidentally with computed tomography (CT), with a history of hypothyroidism and right breast cancer. On the physical examination of the neck, the thyroid gland is not palpated, and no mass or bump is observed in the oral cavity. For breast cancer control, positron emission tomography (PET) and neck ultrasound are requested, radiopharmaceutical uptake is reported in the anterior and upper cervical neck region, and absence of thyroid glandular tissue at the usual level, respectively. As a simple and contrasted CT scan, a hypercapting nodular image measuring 23x20x20 mm, well defined, regular contours is observed at the root of the tongue, does not infiltrate adjacent tissues, oropharynx light imprint, without individualizing the thyroid gland to usual level, thus corroborating the diagnosis of lingual ectopic thyroid.Conclusion: The diagnosis of ectopic thyroid in an adult hypothyroid patient is rare, so CT should be considered if the physical and ultrasound examination is not palpable or observable.