Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most frequent endocrine cause of secondary arterial
hypertension. Sporadic forms of PA caused mainly by an aldosterone producing adenoma
(APA) or idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia (IAH) predominate; in contrast, familial forms
(familial hyperaldosteronism types I, II and III) affect only a minor proportion of
PA patients. Patient based registries and biobanks, international networks and next
generation sequencing technologies have emerged over recent years. Somatic hot-spot
mutations in the potassium channel GIRK4 (encoded by KCNJ5), in ATPases and a L-type voltage-gated calcium-channel correlate with the autonomous
aldosterone production in approximately half of all APAs. The recently discovered
form FH III is caused by different germline KCNJ5 mutations with variable clinical presentations and severity. Autoantibodies to the
angiotensin II Type 1 receptor have been identified in patients with PA and possibly
play a pathophysiological role in the development of PA. Adrenal vein sampling (AVS)
represents the gold standard in differentiating unilateral and bilateral forms of
PA. Recent consensus papers have tried to implement current guidelines in order to
standardise the technique of AVS. New techniques like segmental AVS might allow a
finer mapping of the aldosterone production within the adrenal gland. The measurement
of the steroids 18-hydroxycortisol and 18-oxocortisol by liquid chromatography tandem
mass spectrometry has been shown to be useful to distinguish between unilateral and
bilateral forms of PA.
Key words
primary aldosteronism - aldosterone - somatic mutation -
KCNJ5
- familial hyperaldosteronism - adrenal vein sampling