Secondary hypertension due to a juxtaglomerular cell tumor

Abstract

Juxtaglomerular cell tumors are rare, generally benign, and they are one of the secondary surgically treatable causes of arterial hypertension. There are about 100 reported cases on literature, and the diagnosis is usually carried out based on a high clinic suspicion index, mostly in patients with hypokalemia and arterial hypertension. The diagnosis involves blood tests and imaging studies, but it is only definite with histopathological exam after surgical treatment. We present a case of a 22-year-old woman with resistant arterial hypertension and renal and cardiovascular target-organ lesions. High plasmatic renin and a nodular renal mass on magnetic resonance imaging were present. A tumorectomy was performed and the histological exam confirmed a reninoma. After surgery, blood pressure and serum renin values returned to normal without medication. This work focuses on the need to exclude rare secondary causes of hypertension in young patients with resistant forms of this disease.

Keywords: Hypertension; juxtaglomerular cell tumor; plasma renin activity; renin-secreting tumor.