The Impact of Obesity on the Resolution of Hypertension Following Adrenalectomy for Primary Hyperaldosteronism.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to determine the impact of patient obesity on the resolution of hypertension and pill burden post-adrenalectomy for PA. Primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension that may be remedied with surgery (unilateral adrenalectomy). Obesity may independently cause hypertension through several mechanisms including activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway. The influence of obesity on the efficacy of adrenalectomy in PA has not been established. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on patients undergoing adrenalectomy for PA at a single, tertiary-care surgical centre from January 2015 to December 2020. Electronic health records of patients were screened to collect relevant data. The primary outcomes of the study include post-operative blood pressure, the reduction in the number of anti-hypertensive medications and potassium supplementation burden post-adrenalectomy. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients were included in the final analysis. There was a significant reduction in the blood pressure and the number of anti-hypertensive medications in all patients after adrenalectomy (p < 0.001). Of the 34 patients (64.2%) with pre-operative hypokalaemia, all became normokalaemic and were able to stop supplementation. However obese patients required more anti-hypertensive medications to achieve an acceptable blood pressure than overweight or normal BMI patients (p < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male gender and BMI were independent predictors of resolution of hypertension (p <0.01). CONCLUSION: Unilateral adrenalectomy improves the management of hypertension and hypokalaemia when present in patients with PA. However, obesity has an independent deleterious impact on improvement in blood pressure post-adrenalectomy for PA.

Adrenal Vein Sampling Results and Surgical Outcomes in Patients with a Normal Plasma Aldosterone Concentration.

PURPOSE: To determine the utility of adrenal vein sampling (AVS) and outcomes after adrenalectomy in patients with normal plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and elevated aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample included 106 patients with ARR greater than 20 and PAC between 5 and 15 ng/dL (normal PAC group) who underwent AVS from 2005 to 2021. These patients were compared with a cohort of 106 patients with ARR >20 and PAC >15 ng/dL (high PAC group) who underwent AVS during the same period. Data regarding baseline clinical characteristics, lateralization indices from AVS, and outcomes after adrenalectomy were analyzed. RESULTS: AVS was technically successful in 210 patients (210/212, 99%). A smaller proportion of patients in the normal PAC group showed a lateralization index of >4 compared with those in the high PAC group (44% vs 64%, P <.01). A similar proportion of patients in the normal PAC group experienced improved or cured hypertension after adrenalectomy compared with that in the high PAC group (94% vs 88%, P =.31). Hypokalemia was cured in all patients in the normal PAC group after adrenalectomy compared with 98% of patients in the high PAC group (100% vs 98%, P = 1). CONCLUSIONS: Although lateralization is less frequent for patients with normal PAC, patients who do lateralize show similar blood pressure response and correction of hypokalemia after adrenalectomy, regardless of initial plasma aldosterone levels. Therefore, patients with PAC <15 ng/dL should still be considered for AVS provided the ARR is elevated.

Relationship between serum total magnesium and serum potassium in emergency surgical patients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

INTRODUCTION: Potassium and magnesium are the two most abundant intra-cellular cations. They play pivotal roles in many essential biological processes. Deficiencies of these electrolytes are of clinical importance in hospitalised patients. AIM: To determine the relationship between serum total magnesium and potassium levels in adult patients requiring an emergency intra-abdominal surgery and the clinical utility of this relationship in the care of patients. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted over a five month period at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. All 101 adult patients admitted for emergency intra-abdominal surgery, who met the inclusion criteria and gave informed consent, were consecutively recruited and enrolled into the study. Patients' characteristics preoperative total serum magnesium, serum potassium and albumin levels were determined. Regression analysis and correlation coefficients were used to determine the relation between serum magnesium and potassium. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: Mean serum total magnesium and serum potassium were 0.66±0.20mmol/L and 3.79±0.65mmol/L respectively. There was a significant but weak positive correlation between serum hypokalaemia and serum magnesium levels. Pearson's correlation coefficient (2 tailed) was 0.21, R(2)= 0.04, p = value 0.038. Analysis generated a regression model: [Mg] = 0.06[K] + 0.42mmol/L, with a p-value = 0.038. CONCLUSION: A mathematical relationship was found between serum total magnesium and serum potassium among adult patients who require emergency intra-abdominal surgery. However, it had limited clinical utility. FUNDING: None declared.

SFE/SFHTA/AFCE consensus on primary aldosteronism, part 6: Adrenal surgery.

Treatment of primary aldosteronism (PA) aims at preventing or correcting hypertension, hypokalemia and target organ damage. Patients with lateralized PA and candidates for surgery may be managed by laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Partial adrenalectomy and non-surgical ablation have no proven advantage over total adrenalectomy. Intraoperative morbidity and mortality are low in reference centers, and day-surgery is warranted in selected cases. Spironolactone administered during the weeks preceding surgery controls hypertension and hypokalemia and may prevent postoperative hypoaldosteronism. In most cases, surgery corrects hypokalemia, improves control of hypertension and reduces the burden of pharmacologic treatment; in about 40% of cases, it resolves hypertension. However, success in controlling hypertension and reversing target organ damage is comparable with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Informed patient preference with regard to surgery is thus an important factor in therapeutic decision-making.

Primary hyperaldosteronism: challenges in subtype classification.

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) is a serious and potentially debilitating disease. Detailed guidelines have been written to guide endocrinologists in establishing the diagnosis of PA as well as in subtype classification of PA. The objective of this case report is to present a case where subtype classification of PA was challenging and repeated imaging of the adrenal glands helped establish the diagnosis in a patient with initial normal adrenal glands on CT and MRI images. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 29-year-old woman with an established diagnosis of PA, but unclear subtype, who presented to us for further management. She initially presented for medical evaluation of uncontrolled hypertension and spontaneous hypokalemia 4 years prior. In the investigation of secondary causes of hypertension, plasma aldosterone-to-plasma renin activity ratio was elevated on two separate occasions, and primary hyperaldosteronism was confirmed by saline infusion test. Also during this time, she had adrenal venous sampling done 3 times at multiple institutions yielding confusing results. Initially, imaging by CT and MRI showed normal adrenal glands. To help establish the subtype of PA, we reimaged this patient's adrenal glands one year later revealing a 2 cm left adrenal adenoma. Laparoscopic left adrenalectomy improved her hypertension and was curative of her hypokalemia. CONCLUSION: This case presents an unusual case where reimaging of the adrenal glands led to the discovery of a single adenoma, initially not observed on imaging studies.

Primary hyperaldosteronism decoded: a case of curable resistant hypertension.

Patients with resistant hypertension have a higher incidence of secondary causes of hypertension compared with the general hypertensive population. It is important to screen such patients for secondary causes of hypertension because appropriate treatment can lead to improved blood pressure control or even cure these patients, and thus avoid the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with uncontrolled hypertension. One common cause of secondary hypertension, often associated with hypokalemia, is primary hyperaldosteronism or Conn syndrome. Aldosterone is a mineralocorticoid hormone produced in the outer layer of the adrenal cortex (the zona glomerulosa); its primary action is to increase sodium and water reabsorption by the kidney. Once the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism is made, it is necessary to determine if aldosterone production is unilateral or bilateral. When production is unilateral (most often from a functional adenoma), surgery is potentially curative. The authors report a case and review the diagnostic workup of Conn syndrome in which resistant hypertension and hypokalemia were cured by unilateral adrenalectomy.

Improved quality of life, blood pressure, and biochemical status following laparoscopic adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism.

CONTEXT: In 22 patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA), unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy (ADX) not only corrected hypokalemia and led to cure or improvement of hypertension, but also significantly improved quality of life (QOL). SETTING AND DESIGN: In this pilot study, QOL was evaluated prospectively using SF-36 questionnaire before and 3 and 6 months after ADX in 22 patients [14 males] with UPA who underwent ADX within the Endocrine Hypertension Research Center, Greenslopes and Princess Alexandra Hospitals, between June 2007 and June 2008. RESULTS: Eighty-six percent of patients were cured of hypertension, and the remainder improved. Plasma potassium normalized and, whereas renin concentration increased, plasma aldosterone, aldosterone/renin ratio, and number of antihypertensive agents decreased. Preoperatively, SF-36 scores for each QOL domain were lower for UPA patients than reported for the Australian general population, especially for physical functioning, role physical, vitality, and general health. Significant improvements were seen at 3 months in physical functioning, role physical, social functioning, role emotional, general health, mental health, and vitality and at 6 months in physical functioning, role physical, general health, role emotional, mental health, and vitality. CONCLUSION: Unilateral adrenalectomy had positive impacts not only on blood pressure and biochemical parameters, but also on QOL, which was impaired preoperatively but significantly improved by 3 months postoperatively.

Severe metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia in a patient with enterovesical fistula.

We report a case of a 59-year-old woman who had severe metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia due to an enterovesical fistula. The patient came to our hospital complaining of systemic weakness and numbness of the fingers. She was found to have hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis (arterial bicarbonate, 2.8 mEq/l) and hypokalemia (serum potassium, 1.9 mEq/l) and was admitted for treatment. Following the correction of metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia, the patient was examined for the underlying cause of these electrolyte and acid-base disorders. She had a history of total hysterectomy followed by radiotherapy due to uterine cancer 30 years previously. After the surgery, she had suffered postoperative neurogenic bladder dysfunction, necessitating intermittent self-catheterization. Two years before admission, she had begun to experience watery diarrhea. A radiographic study after recovery from the acid-base and electrolyte disorders revealed the presence of an enterovesical fistula. The fistula was surgically resected and the metabolic acidosis completely cleared. Unexplained hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis with hypokalemia may suggest the presence of an enterovesical fistula in patients with a surgical history of malignant pelvic tumor and neurogenic bladder dysfunction.

[Hyperaldosteronism persisting after subtotal adrenalectomy]. / Persistenz eines primären Hyperaldosteronismus nach subtotaler Adrenalektomie.

BACKGROUND: Primary aldosteronism is known to be caused by aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). Total adrenalectomy is the standard procedure. In contrast to bilateral adrenal diseases (e.g., MEN II pheochromocytomas), there is no consensus about the effect of subtotal adrenalectomy. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old patient with primary aldosteronism caused by APA underwent subtotal adrenalectomy including removal of one adenoma. Because hypertension and hypokalemia did not disappear and hyperaldosteronism persisted, the patient had to undergo reoperation in which the adrenalectomy was completed. DISCUSSION: Subtotal adrenalectomy in patients with Conn's syndrome is an interesting therapeutic option,whereas its effect is much higher in hereditary diseases of the adrenal gland. The benefit of preserved adrenal tissue has to be weighed against a possible persistence of hyperaldosteronism, especially in cases with normal opposite adrenal glands.

Unilateral juxtaglomerular hyperplasia, hyperreninism and hypokalaemia relieved by nephrectomy.

Two women with spontaneous hypokalemia (1 normotensive, 1 hypertensive in the absence of renal artery stenosis), underwent unilateral nephrectomy because of angiographic and/or split renin-based suspicion of a reninoma. The normotensive patient clinically resembled Bartter syndrome but had some elements suggestive of a renin-secreting tumour, justifying surgical exploration and resection. The hypertensive patient presented clinically as a typical reninoma except for negative angiography. Surprisingly, the histology of the kidneys in both cases demonstrated juxtaglomerular hyperplasia without evidence of reninoma. The postoperative follow-up (8 and 19 yrs, respectively) has shown in the normotensive patient a considerable improvement in the hyper-reninism and previously uncontrollable hypokalaemia and in the hypertensive patient a complete normalisation of BP, renin and electrolyte status. Although the histological condition of the contralateral kidneys remains unknown in both patients the preoperative lateralisation of hyper-reninism to one kidney, the postoperative complete relief of the hyper-reninism in the hypertensive patient after uninephrectomy and its decrease, exceeding that corresponding to the removal of one kidney in the normotensive patient, suggest that the juxtaglomerular hyperplasia might have been unilateral or asymmetrical and that nephrectomy may, unexpectedly, relieve the hyper-reninism caused by juxtaglomerular hyperplasia. An increased unilateral susceptibility to trophic or renin-releasing factors or an asymmetrical abnormality in the macula densa-initiated mechanism of juxtaglomerular hyperplasia may be implicated in this disorder.