Secondary hypertension due to a juxtaglomerular cell tumor

Igor Nunes1, Tiago Santos1, Joana Tavares2

  • 1Internal Medicine I Department, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte - Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisbon Medical Faculty, Lisbon, Portugal.

Insights

Juxtaglomerular cell tumors, a rare cause of hypertension, can be surgically treated. This case highlights the importance of considering these renin-producing tumors in young patients with resistant hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Endocrinology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Juxtaglomerular cell tumors are rare, benign neoplasms.
  • They represent a surgically treatable cause of secondary arterial hypertension.
  • Diagnosis often relies on clinical suspicion, hypokalemia, and hypertension.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a case of a young woman with resistant hypertension.
  • To highlight the diagnostic challenges and successful surgical management of a juxtaglomerular cell tumor.
  • To emphasize the importance of excluding rare secondary causes of hypertension.

Main Methods:

  • Case report of a 22-year-old woman with resistant hypertension.
  • Diagnostic workup included blood tests (measuring plasma renin) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  • Surgical tumorectomy followed by histopathological confirmation.

Main Results:

  • The patient presented with resistant hypertension and target-organ damage.
  • Elevated plasma renin and a renal mass were identified.
  • Post-surgical tumorectomy led to normalization of blood pressure and renin levels.

Conclusions:

  • Juxtaglomerular cell tumors (reninomas) are a rare but treatable cause of hypertension.
  • Early diagnosis and surgical intervention can resolve hypertension and prevent target-organ damage.
  • Consideration of rare secondary causes is crucial in young patients with resistant hypertension.

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