Study on clinical and endocrine characteristics of dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism compared with those in primary aldosteronism owing to aldosterone-producing adenoma.
The clinical and endocrine characteristics of 12 Japanese patients with dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism were compared with those in 49 Japanese patients with primary aldosteronism due to aldosteronoma. The results were as follows: 1. Most of the laboratory data in the two groups were almost the same. 2. The grade of vascular damage in both uncontrolled (3) and well-controlled (9) patients with dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism did not correlate with blood pressure response. 3. The responsiveness of plasma aldosterone to exogenous ACTH in 6 patients with dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism was not different from that in 9 patients with aldosteronoma. Even in 3 well-controlled patients in the former group, the plasma aldosterone response was as low as in all the 3 patients with small aldosteronomas. 4. In 4 patients with small aldosteronomas, plasma aldosterone was continuously suppressed with daily dexamethasone to the same degree as in dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism. 5. The blood pressure, however, did not improve even in the patients with small aldosteronomas. The possible indistinguishable mechanism in dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism and primary aldosteronism with small adenomas and the role of unknown hypertensinogenic steroid(s) other than aldosterone in inducing hypertension in dexamethasone-suppressible hyperaldosteronism are discussed.
Yamakita
N
N
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Yasuda
K
K
Noritake
N
N
Mercado-Asis
L B
LB
Murase
H
H
Mune
T
T
Morita
H
H
Miura
K
K
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood
D000450:Aldosterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011188:Potassium