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Published on: September 15, 2017
Bilateral Adrenalectomy in a Patient With Refractory Primary Aldosteronism Due to Adrenal Hyperplasia
Luis Marín-Martínez1, Antonio J Ríos-Vergara1, Georgios Kyriakos1
1Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucía, Cartagena, ESP.
Abstract:
Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a frequent cause of secondary hypertension. The main cause of PA is bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, and treatment is usually medical with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) such as spironolactone or eplerenone. In this paper, we present a rare clinical case of a middle-aged female with refractory arterial hypertension and hypokalemia that complementary medical tests confirmed PA due to bilateral hyperplasia, and despite a maximum dose of spironolactone and oral potassium supplements, there was no clinical response. Because of this, finally, the patient needed surgical treatment based on bilateral adrenalectomy, which was effective. This is unusual and poorly described in the medical literature.
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