Secondary hypertension in children

Secondary hypertension is a potentially curable disease. One-hundred-and thirty six children was diagnosed as hypertension in the National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1992 to June 1998 and they were retrospectively reviewed and analysed for the etiological factors, presentation, and clinical outcome. The most common cause of hypertension was coarctation of aorta in infants and systemic lupus nephritis in adolescents. These children often presented symptoms and signs not directly related hypertension (37.5%). Twenty eight children (20.6%) died. The hypertension of the survival had been controlled by surgery, chronic hemodialysis, or medication.