[Arterial hypertension caused by ingestion of licorice]. / Ipertensione arteriosa da assunzione di liquerizia.

The Authors present a case of licorice-sustained hypertension in a young man. blood and urine tests revealed: hypokaliemia with hyperkaliuria, suppressed plasmatic renin activity, absent urinary aldosterone. A symmetric left ventricular hypertrophy was detectable at the echocardiogram. Five months after the interruption of licorice ingestion the valves of systemic blood pressure were normal and the haematochemical investigations were also within normal limits. An echocardiogram revealed the disappearance of the signs of left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial mass was reduced of about 40%. The usefulness of an echocardiographic examination, to evaluate hypertensive cardiomyopathy, is stressed.