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Zorluk: OrtaGeneral Internal Medicine

Secondary hypertension should be suspected in patients presenting with resistant hypertension, severe blood pressure elevations, or specific clinical manifestations. Match each patient vignette with the most appropriate initial diagnostic screening test to evaluate the underlying etiology.

  • A 35-year-old female presents with frequent pounding headaches, episodic marked tachycardia, and unexplained excessive sweating.Measurement of plasma fractionated free metanephrines
  • A 46-year-old male is found to have a blood pressure of 165/100 mm Hg and a serum potassium level of 2.8 mEq/L in the absence of diuretic use.Calculation of the plasma aldosterone concentration to plasma renin activity ratio
  • A 71-year-old male with a history of peripheral arterial disease presents with an acute rise in baseline blood pressure and recent episodes of sudden respiratory distress.Duplex Doppler ultrasonography of the renal arteries
  • A 38-year-old female presents with progressive weight gain, violaceous abdominal striae, and unexplained osteopenia on a recent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan.Overnight low-dose dexamethasone suppression test

Cevap

Pheochromocytoma screens with metanephrines, primary hyperaldosteronism with the aldosterone-to-renin ratio, renal artery stenosis with duplex ultrasonography, and Cushing syndrome with the dexamethasone suppression test.
Secondary hypertension requires targeted testing based on clinical suspicion to avoid unnecessary and expensive diagnostic evaluations. The pairings correctly align each classic clinical presentation with its respective gold-standard initial screening modality as recommended by current clinical guidelines.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Analyze the first vignette to identify the classic triad of pheochromocytoma.
Recognized symptoms of headache, tachycardia, and diaphoresis.
Matching these symptoms points directly to catecholamine excess, prompting the selection of plasma free metanephrines.
2
Evaluate the second vignette focusing on the electrolyte abnormality.
Identified spontaneous hypokalemia in a hypertensive patient.
This combination is highly suspicious for primary hyperaldosteronism, evaluated initially by checking the aldosterone-to-renin ratio.
3
Assess the third vignette for cardiovascular complications.
Recognized flash pulmonary edema in the setting of acute-on-chronic hypertension and atherosclerosis.
These findings are hallmark signs of renal artery stenosis, which is non-invasively screened using renal artery Doppler ultrasonography.
4
Review the fourth vignette for physical stigmata of endocrine disease.
Identified signs of hypercortisolism (striae, adiposity, osteopenia).
These physical examination findings indicate Cushing syndrome, requiring screening with an overnight dexamethasone suppression test.

Anahtar Kavram

Screening modalities for secondary causes of hypertension based on specific clinical presentations.
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