title: [Primary aldosteronism and pregnancy: report of 2 cases].
abstract: Based on two patients, we discuss the difficulties in diagnosing and managing primary aldosteronism in pregnancy, which derive from changes of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis, from the uncertainty regarding blood pressure control along gestation and postpartum, and from the contraindication to the use of spironolactone. The first case is a 27 years old woman with a long standing refractory hypertension, a hemorrhagic stroke with left brachial hemiplegia and crural hemiparesia, two miscarriages, one stillbirth and one offspring with intrauterine growth retardation. Due to hypokalemia, a plasma aldosterone/renin activity ratio of 91, and a negative genetic screening for glucocorticoid remediable aldosteronism (GRA), a primary hyperaldosteronism with normal adrenals in CT scan was diagnosed, and good blood pressure control was attained with spironolactone. After two and a half years of normotension, a fifth pregnancy, managed with methyldopa evolved with satisfactory blood pressures, plasma potassium, fetal growth, uterine and umbilical arterial resistance indexes, and maternal endothelial function. At 37 1/2 weeks of pregnancy the patient delivered a healthy newborn weighing 2,960 g. Blood pressure rose during the 48 hours of postpartum in the absence of proteinuria and required i.v. hydralazine. The second patient is a 37 years old woman, with known refractory hypertension for 7 years, hypokalemia, plasma aldosterone/renin activity ratio greater than 40, normal adrenals in the CAT scan, and a negative genetic screening for GRA. She had normotensive pregnancies 5 and 3 years prior to the detection of hypertension, with hypertensive crisis in both postpartum periods, retrospectively considered as expressions of primary hyperaldosteronism.
authors.affiliation: Departamentos de Nefrología y Obstetricia/Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago.
authors.forename: Alfredo M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Cristián
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kottman
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valdés
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*