eMedicine Specialties > Radiology > Genitourinary

Hyperaldosteronism: Follow-up

Author: Ali Nawaz Khan, MBBS, FRCS, FRCP, FRCR, Consultant Radiologist, North Manchester General Hospital, The Pennine Acute NHS Trust, Manchester UK
Coauthor(s): Sumaira MacDonald, MBChB, PhD, MRCP, FRCR, Lecturer, Sheffield University Medical School; Endovascular Fellow, Sheffield Vascular Institute; Durre Sabih, MBBS, MSc, Visiting Faculty, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pakistan Institute Applied Sciences and Nishtar Medical College; Director, Multan Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy; Muhammad Sohaib, MBBS, MSc, Senior Medical Officer, Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Apr 8, 2008

Intervention

Although primary aldosteronism accounts for 0.05-2% of cases of hypertension in the general population, recognition of the disease is important because patients readily respond to the removal of the adrenal gland tumor. In 75-90% of patients with a solitary APA, surgical adrenalectomy corrects hypertension and hypokalemia.

Most other patients have idiopathic hyperaldosteronism associated with bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. In these patients, surgery rarely cures hypertension; instead, patients with idiopathic hyperaldosteronism are usually treated medically.16 Therefore, differentiating primary aldosteronism caused by APAs from idiopathic hyperaldosteronism is essential.

 
Acknowledgments

Basil Issa, MBBCh, MRCP, Consulting Staff, North Manchester Heath Care NHS Trust, contributed to this article.



More on Hyperaldosteronism

Overview: Hyperaldosteronism
Imaging: Hyperaldosteronism
Follow-up: Hyperaldosteronism
Multimedia: Hyperaldosteronism
References
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References

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  2. Pratt JH. Low-renin hypertension: more common than we think?. Cardiol Rev. Jul-Aug 2000;8(4):202-6. [Medline].

  3. Leung AM, Sasano H, Nishikwa T, et al. Multiple unilateral adrenal adenomas in a patient with primary hyperaldosteronism. Endocr Pract. Jan-Feb 2008;14(1):76-9. [Medline].

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  5. Jung SI, Kim SO, Kang TW, et al. Bilateral adrenal myelolipoma associated with hyperaldosteronism: report of a case and review of the literature. Urology. Dec 2007;70(6):1223.e11-3. [Medline].

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  10. Rossi GP, Chiesura-Corona M, Tregnaghi A, et al. Imaging of aldosterone-secreting adenomas: a prospective comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in 27 patients with suspected primary aldosteronism. J Hum Hypertens. Aug 1993;7(4):357-63. [Medline].

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  13. Hwang I, Balingit AG, Georgitis WJ, et al. Adrenocortical SPECT using iodine-131 NP-59. J Nucl Med. Aug 1998;39(8):1460-3. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  14. Nishikawa T, Saito J, Omura M. Adrenal venous sampling is absolutely requisite for definitively diagnosing primary aldosteronism as well as for detecting laterality of the adrenal lesion. Hypertens Res. Nov 2007;30(11):1009-10. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  15. Zarnegar R, Bloom AI, Lee J, et al. Is adrenal venous sampling necessary in all patients with hyperaldosteronism before adrenalectomy?. J Vasc Interv Radiol. Jan 2008;19(1):66-71. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

primary hyperaldosteronism, primary aldosteronism, Conn syndrome, aldosterone hypersecretion, adrenal adenoma, adrenal gland tumor, adrenal gland hyperplasia, aldosterone-producing tumor, adrenal gland carcinoma, aldosterone excess, aldosterone-producing adenoma, APA, aldosterone-producing adrenal adenoma, aldosteronoma, secondary aldosteronism, idiopathic hyperaldosteronism

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ali Nawaz Khan, MBBS, FRCS, FRCP, FRCR, Consultant Radiologist, North Manchester General Hospital, The Pennine Acute NHS Trust, Manchester UK
Ali Nawaz Khan, MBBS, FRCS, FRCP, FRCR is a member of the following medical societies: American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the United States, Royal College of Radiologists, and Royal College of Surgeons of England
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Sumaira MacDonald, MBChB, PhD, MRCP, FRCR, Lecturer, Sheffield University Medical School; Endovascular Fellow, Sheffield Vascular Institute
Sumaira MacDonald, MBChB, PhD, MRCP, FRCR is a member of the following medical societies: British Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians, and Royal College of Radiologists
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Durre Sabih, MBBS, MSc, Visiting Faculty, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pakistan Institute Applied Sciences and Nishtar Medical College; Director, Multan Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Muhammad Sohaib, MBBS, MSc, Senior Medical Officer, Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Sciences, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

John L Haddad, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Radiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University; Director of Body MRI, Department of Radiology, Methodist Hospital in Houston
John L Haddad, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Radiology, American Medical Association, and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Bernard D Coombs, MB, ChB, PhD, Consulting Staff, Department of Specialist Rehabilitation Services, Hutt Valley District Health Board, New Zealand
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Joshua A Becker, MD, Professor, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine
Joshua A Becker, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Society of Uroradiology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Robert M Krasny, MD, Consulting Staff, Department of Radiology, Resolution Imaging Medical Corporation
Robert M Krasny, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Roentgen Ray Society and Radiological Society of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Eugene C Lin, MD, Consulting Radiologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center; Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine
Eugene C Lin, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, and Society of Nuclear Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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