Dexamethasone-responsive hypertension in young women with suppressed renin and aldosterone

Pronounced hypoaldosteronism was found in three young women with hypertension and symptoms of mineralocorticoid overproduction--i.e., hyporeninaemia, hypokalaemia, and a fall in blood-pressure after diuretic therapy. Plasma 11-deoxycorticosterone and 18-hydroxy-11-dooxycorticosterone concentrations were normal Treatment with dexamethasone induced a return to normal of blood-pressure and plasma-potassium and an increase in plasma-renin activity and urinary aldosterone excretion. The data suggest that hypertension in these patients is maintained by overproduction of an unknown adrenocorticotropindependent mineralocortocoid.