title: Problems in diagnostics of primary aldosteronism - analysis of the own data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the last few years, increasing evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism is the cause of over 10% of arterial hypertension (AH). There are no "gold standard" methods for PA screening. The aim of study was plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), and ARR assessment as criteria for diagnosis of PA and their usefulness in clinical practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one consecutive patients were admitted for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism: 51 women and 30 men, aged 31-69 years. In each patient, PAC and PRA were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. In 65 patients, urine concentration of catecholamine metabolites was assayed, and in 51 patients, diagnostics for hypercortisolaemia was carried out. In patients with adrenal incidentaloma, 16-row computer tomography was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of patients with PAC over 150 pg/ml was 35% (n = 28). The number of patients with PRA under 0.07 ng/ml/h was 19 (n = 15). The ratio of patients whose values of ARR exceeded over 20, 30, 40, 50, and 180 were 55, 47, 37, 28, and 15%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common indication for primary screening was the presence of incidentally found adrenal mass. The quotient of plasma aldosterone concentration/plasma renin activity at whichever cut-off point is not effective enough for the selection of patients for further diagnostics or its cessation. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 2-5).
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Internal Diseases, Medical University, Białystok, Poland. janusz.mysliwiec@umwb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Myśliwiec
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zukowski
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grodzka
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piłaszewicz
authors.forename: Szymon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dragowski
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Piekut
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikołajuk
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Górska
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000652:urine; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000450:Aldosterone; D012083:Renin