A GIANT ALDOSTERONE-PRODUCING ADRENAL ADENOMA-REPORT OF A CASE-

We experienced a resected case of giant right adrenal adenoma presenting with primary aldosteronism. A 42-year-old woman who had an about 15-year history of hypertension treated at the department of internal medicine on an ambulant basis was admitted to that department for close examination of the disease. It was found that blood aldosterone level was as high as 5698pg/ml, and abdominal ultrasonography, CT, and MRI revealed a tumor in the upper pole of the right kidney. The patient was diagnosed as primary aldosteronism (right adrenal adenoma) and was trransferred to this department of surgery for operation. After abdominal angiography excision of the right adrenal gland by transabdominal approach was performed. The excised adrenal gland was 5.1×4.9×2.0cm in size and 31g in weight. On the 2nd week after the operation aldosterone level remarkably decreased to 51.1pg/ml, however, hypertension still lasted which necessitated antihypertensives. On the 15th postoperative day the patient was again transferred to the department of medicine for controlling hypertension.