Primary Aldosteronism—One Picture Is Not Worth a Thousand Words
Authors: William F. Young
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2009)

Editorials1 September 2009Primary Aldosteronism—One Picture Is Not Worth a Thousand WordsWilliam F. Young Jr., MD, MScWilliam F. Young Jr., MD, MScFrom Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-5-200909010-00013 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Physicians often rely on imaging to guide clinical decision making. When computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to demonstrate adrenal morphologic appearance in patients with primary aldosteronism, the images may lead to errors in clinical management. In this issue, Kempers and colleagues (1) report a systematic review of the diagnostic procedures to distinguish between unilateral and bilateral adrenal disease in patients with primary aldosteronism. Their key finding, based on 950 patients with primary aldosteronism from 38 studies, is that the adrenal morphologic appearance on CT or MRI does not accurately identify the source of aldosterone excess ...References1. Kempers MJ, Lenders JW, van Outheusden L, van der Wilt GJ, Schultze Kool LJ, Hermus AR, et al. Systematic review: diagnostic procedures to differentiate unilateral from bilateral adrenal abnormality in primary aldosteronism. Ann Intern Med. 2009;151:329-37. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Conn JW. Presidential address. I. Painting background. II. Primary aldosteronism, a new clinical syndrome. J Lab Clin Med. 1955;45:3-17. [PMID: 13233623] MedlineGoogle Scholar3. Young WF. Primary aldosteronism: renaissance of a syndrome. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2007;66:607-18. [PMID: 17492946] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Funder JW, Carey RM, Fardella C, Gomez-Sanchez CE, Mantero F, Stowasser M, et al; Endocrine Society. 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Young Jr., MD, MSc, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905; e-mail, young.[email protected]edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSystematic Review: Diagnostic Procedures to Differentiate Unilateral From Bilateral Adrenal Abnormality in Primary Aldosteronism Marlies J.E. Kempers , Jacques W.M. Lenders , Lieke van Outheusden , Gert Jan van der Wilt , Leo J. Schultze Kool , Ad R.M.M. Hermus , and Jaap Deinum Metrics Cited byAssociation of Adrenal Venous Sampling With Outcomes in Primary Aldosteronism for Unilateral AdenomasThe method of differential diagnosis of the main forms of primary hyperaldosteronism by high performance liquid chromatographyA New Clinical Prediction Criterion Accurately Determines A Subset of Patients with Bilateral Primary Aldosteronism Before Adrenal Venous SamplingPersonalized Therapy of Hypertension: the Past and the FutureSecondary HypertensionEndocrine Causes of HypertensionLiteraturUnilateral adrenalectomy improves urinary protein excretion but does not abolish its relationship to sodium excretion in patients with aldosterone-producing adenomaA novel bead-based fluorescence immunoassay for aldosteroneWhat is new in the management of resistant hypertension?Endocrine Hypertension: Then and Now 1 September 2009Volume 151, Issue 5Page: 357-358KeywordsAdenomasAdrenalectomyAldosteroneComputed axial tomographyEndocrinologyHypertensionRadiologistsResearch laboratoriesSurgeryVeins ePublished: 1 September 2009 Issue Published: 1 September 2009 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. 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