[Therapy-refractory arterial hypertension in a young patient]

We report on a 41-year-old patient admitted for refractory arterial hypertension that had developed after a curative chemotherapy regimen due to seminoma stadium IIb four years ago. After exclusion of secondary forms of arterial hypertension (actually unsuccessfully treated with 5 different antihypertensive drugs) we performed a controlled medication intake-trial in our outpatient clinic. 90 minutes after taking the pills the patient complained of dizziness and perspiration while hypotension and bradycardia were measured simultaneously. Due to the difficult psychosocial situation (conflicts with the insurance and in the family, financial problems) and the suspected narcisstic personality disorder the issue of the proven malcompliance was not openly discussed in order to preserve the patient-doctor alliance. The antihypertensive regimen was then reduced to a double regimen. In the second part of the article the most common reasons for refractory arterial hypertension, especially the problem of treatment malcompliance, are summarized.