Hypertension is a common chronic disease, and with the improvement of living standards and the increase of average life expectancy, the incidence is also increasing day by day. The number of patients with hypertension in the mainland exceeds 300 million, and it is also the first cause of cerebrovascular diseases in the Chinese people.
In the impression of many people, the treatment of hypertension is relatively simple and rude, only know that you need to take medicine for a long time, do not control well, add medicine, increase the amount, one can not do two, one piece does not work two tablets. However, some situations are not so simple.
Patient experience
Xiao Wang (pseudonym), a 26-year-old driver who often drives night trains to deliver goods, was diagnosed with high blood pressure at the local hospital 3 months ago due to a headache, and considering that he had high blood pressure at such a young age, the doctor recommended that he have further examination.
But Xiao Wang, who had just embarked on the job, was full of thoughts of "rolling up his sleeves and working hard", did not do any examination, and simply dispensed some antihypertensive drugs and left in a hurry.
A month ago, Xiao Wang, who was a little tired after work, measured his blood pressure again, but it was okay, a test was frightened, and the systolic blood pressure actually soared to 220mmgHg! "It's over, it's over, it seems that I can't do without antihypertensive drugs for the rest of my life, do I really want to become a medicine jar?"
Under the supervision and escort of his family, Xiao Wang, who was almost desperate, came to the hospital for a review, and the abdominal CT found that his left adrenal gland had a tumor of 1 cm. This result confused the whole family, will this tumor be the culprit of Xiao Wang's hypertension?
After inquiring from many sources, Xiao Wang's family found Professor Du Peng of Urology at Peking University Cancer Hospital. Director Du's answer was simple and crisp: "The root of hypertension is in the adrenal glands, hospitalization surgery!" After a detailed understanding of the condition, combined with hematological examinations and multidisciplinary discussions, Director Du quickly identified the culprit that caused Xiao Wang's hypertension - the adrenal tumor on the left side was accurately characterized and located.
Director Du Peng spent less than 30 minutes to successfully remove the tumor through laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery. The day after the operation, without taking the medicine, the high blood pressure had improved significantly (systolic blood pressure of 128 mmHg). "Didn't expect the surgery to be so fast! The hospital stay is so short! The blood pressure reduction effect is so good! With three exclamation points, Xiao Wang happily discharged from the hospital.
What exactly is an adrenal tumor?
The classification of adrenal tumors can be divided into benign tumors and malignant tumors according to their nature, and non-functional tumors and functional tumors according to the presence or absence of endocrine function (such as secreting a certain hormone to cause hypertension).
Adrenal masses found on imaging when there is no suspicion of adrenal gland disease is called an adrenal accidental tumor. Pheochromocytoma, primary hyperaldosteronism, and hypercortisolism are the most common, and hypertension is a common symptom, and they have their own characteristics.
01 Primary hyperaldosteronism
Primary hyperaldosteronism is the most common type, with elevated blood pressure of moderate or slightly heavier levels, accompanied by muscle weakness and muscle paralysis due to hypokalemia, making the patient feel light-headed, weak in the extremities, more pronounced in the lower extremities, and in severe cases, periodic paralysis (numbness and weakness in the extremities with a time cycle).
02 Hypercortisolism
At the same time, patients with hypercortisolism have high blood pressure, which can be accompanied by general weakness, waist and leg pain, and patients are mostly somatically obese and not fat in their limbs, that is, "centripetal obesity". Bald head, round face, i.e. "full moon face". The back of the neck and shoulders are fatty, called "buffalo back".
03 Eosinocytoma
Pheochromocytoma is mostly in young adults aged 20 to 40 years, and their hypertension can be paroxysmal, persistent, or persistent hypertension paroxysmal exacerbation. It is manifested as high and low. Some are even accompanied by headaches, heavy sweating, palpitations, etc. Blood pressure can be measured up to (200 to 300 mmHg), which may resolve on its own and re-attack when encountering some kind of stimulation.
Detect early and treat as soon as possible
Surgery is the preferred treatment for adrenal gland disease. Most adrenal tumors can be completely cured by surgery.
At present, laparoscopic surgery has become the most common way to remove adrenal tumors, only a few small holes in the skin with a diameter of 1-2cm can be completed, and the postoperative recovery is very fast, and the "time bomb" in the body can be safely and quickly removed to cure the troublesome secondary hypertension.
Therefore, for patients with recalcitrant hypertension, especially young people who have a situation similar to Xiao Wang, it is necessary to pay attention to it, seek medical treatment in time for adrenal mass screening, and find out the cause so that it can be treated as soon as possible to avoid serious consequences.