Malignant hypertension, severe hypertensive retinopathy and malignant nephroangiosclerosis.
Hypertensive crises are frequent in the emergency room. The term covers a group of syndromes that have in common high blood pressure. When accompanied by acute organ damage, it is known as a hypertensive emergency, as opposed to a hypertensive urgency, in which there is no such damage. One specific type of emergency is malignant hypertension, in which there are exudates and/or retinal hemorrhages or papilledema. Besides effective and prompt treatment, it is mandatory to screen for secondary causes of the hypertension. We present the case of a 40-year-old patient, with no previous history of hypertension, who was admitted for malignant hypertension. In this article we review the pathophysiology, clinical aspects and prognosis of this condition.
Lourenço
Sofia
S
Serviço de Medicina Interna 1, Hospital de Curry Cabral, Lisboa, Portugal. sofilourenco@iol.pt
Murinello
António
A
Loureiro
Conceição
C
Carvalho
Fernanda
F
Colarinho
Paula
P
Ataíde
Mónica
M
Coimbra
Elia
E
D000328:Adult; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006974:Hypertension, Malignant / Q000150:complications*; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology