- Frequent in adult females
Primary Hyperaldosteronism
- Also known as Conn’s Syndrome
- Overproduction of aldosterone
- Adrenal cortex lesion:
-Adrenocortical adenoma
-Adrenal carcinoma
-Bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (in children) - Associated with low plasma renin levels (positive feedback? due to increased blood volume from the action of aldosterone, initiating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system)
- Low K+ level (in exchange of Na+ by Na/K pump) –> muscle weakness
Secondary Hyperaldosteronism
- High plasma renin levels – reninoma (not involved in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis)
- High water retention (oedema)
- Renal ischemia (?)
Clinical features
- Retention of Na+ & water
- Oedema
- Hypertension (diastolic)
- Hypokalemia –> muscle weakness –> peripheral neuropathy
- Hypokalemia –> cardiac arrhythmia