[Hypernephroma as a cause of high blood pressure (author's transl)]

In the group of 111 patients treated for hypernephroma, 24 have shown in addition to their usual symptoms a more systolic an elevated blood pressure up to 22 mm Hg and higher. In two cases was hypertension the only symptom. In the hypertensive group, 20 patients underwent nephrectomy and blood pressure returned to normal in all but one. Four pathophysiologic mechanisms of blood pressure elevation in hypernephroma are discussed: (1) AV shunts; (2) Compression of the renal artery or its branches due to tumor expansion; (3) Polycythemia; (4) Hypernephroma with hormonal activity. The hypertension of 6 of our patients was due to AV shunts, of 7, to renal vessels compression, and of 6 others, to a polycythemia.