CUSHINGS-DISEASE - EVALUATION OF MINERALOCORTICOID-INDUCED HYPERTENSION

A patient (32-year-old female) with Cushing's syndrome due to pituitar y adenoma and hypertension with hypokalemia is reviewed. Endocrinologi cal studies demonstrated low plasma renin activity, low plasma aldoste rone concentration and high plasma deoxycorticosterone concentration. Blood pressure response to exogenous angiotensin II was enhanced. Afte r the withdrawal of cortisol replacement following surgery, her abnorm al endocrinological findings, hypertension and serum potassium level r eturned to normal and her blood pressure response to exogenous angiote nsin II was reduced. These results suggest that in this case deoxycort icosterone might have contributed to the development and maintenance o f her hypertension accompanied with hypokalemia.