Primary hyperaldosteronism is a disorder characterized by hypertension associated with an elevated plasma aldosterone concentration on at least one occasion and with a concurrent plasma renin concentration below the mean value.
Patients may show symptoms of hypokalemia, such as muscle weakness, polyuria, nocturia, and polydipsia, and less commonly paresthesiae, tetany, muscle paralysis.' Headache is common. Some patients have no relevant symptoms or have complications of hypertension. 122 Primary hyperaldosteronism may be due to bilateral nodular hyperplasia of the adrenal glands (idiopathic primary hyperaldesteronism) or a single aldosterone-producing adenoma (Conn's synd r ~m e ) . ~
The incidence of primary hyperaldosteronism is probably less than one percent among unselected hypertensive^.^ Reports regarding the value of abdominal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of adrenal gland disorders have been accumulating in the world's literature.
CASE REPORT
This report describes a rare case of primary hyperaldesteronism due to diffuse hyperplasia of adrenal glands, detected by ultrasonography.
A 41-year-old housewife was found to have hypertension following an abortion in 1963. Her blood pressure fluctuated between 180/80 mm Hg and 2401130 mm Hg since then. The highest blood pressure recorded was 270/130 mm Hg de-~ ~