Nephrol Dial Transplant (1992) 7: 647-650
© 1992 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association
case-report
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with primary hyperaldosteronism
1Département de Néphrologie, Hopital Necker Paris, France 2Département d'Hypertension Arteriellc, Hopital Broussais Paris, France
Correspondence and offprint requests to: Dr Girillaume Bobrie, Departement de Nephrologie, Hopital Necker, 161 rue de Sevres, 75743 Paris Cedex 15, France
We report three cases of primary aldosteronism associated with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. The diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism was based on the presence of hypokalaemia with excessive urinary potassium excretion and/or the characteristic hormonal changes. Renal function impairment due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease could mask hypokalaemia. The interpretation of adrenal imagery may be hindered by adjacent renal cysts. In one case an adrenal adenoma was detected and surgically removed, with only partial correction of the blood pressure. This could be explained by the persisting underlying autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. We conclude that in a hypertensive patient with polycystic kidney disease, extrarenal causes of hypertension may be present.
Keywords: polycystic kidney disease; primary hyperaldosteronism