title: Hormonal characteristics of primary aldosteronism due to unilateral adrenal hyperplasia.
abstract: A case of unilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia is presented. A 46-year-old woman with a 7-year history of hypertension and a 1-year-history of hypokalemia was diagnosed with primary aldosteronism. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, venous sampling and adosterol scintigraphy exhibited a functioning left adrenal mass. The plasma aldosterone concentration increased markedly when furosemide with upright posture and either captopril or adrenocorticotropin were administered. Plasma renin activity was suppressed below the detectable range. Aldosterone secretion displayed a circadian rhythm and was not suppressed by dexamethasone administration. The resected left adrenal mass was pathologically diagnosed as adrenocortical nodular hyperplasia. Unilateral adrenal hyperplasia involving the zona glomerulosa rarely has been reported, with varying and incompletely characterized hormonal characteristics. This case report and literature review suggest unilateral adrenal hyperplasia as a rare cause of hyperaldosteronism with characteristics intermediate between idiopathic hyperaldosteronism and aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma, resembling the functional features of the adenoma more closely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine III, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otsuka-Misunaga
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamanari
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makino
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000308:Adrenocortical Hyperfunction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D002216:Captopril; D004232:Diuretics; D005260:Female; D005665:Furosemide; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006965:Hyperplasia; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000150:complications; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D004232:Diuretics; D000450:Aldosterone; D005665:Furosemide; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002216:Captopril; D012083:Renin