[Adrenal tumors as a cause of hypertension].

Hypertension is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, which today are the primary cause of mortality in developed countries. To decrease the mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular disease, it is necessary to treat hypertension correctly on the basis of an accurate diagnosis. A secondary cause of hypertension must be suspected if it is severe or resistant to treatment, if there is a sudden increase in blood pressure in a patient hitherto well controlled, or if it develops in childhood or in a person under 30 years of age, especially if not obese and without a family history of hypertension. In these instances the frequency of hypertension varies from 1-5% for mild to moderate to 10-20% for severe or refractory hypertension. One of the principal causes of secondary hypertension is related to adrenal gland tumors or dysfunctions such as Cushing's syndrome, primary aldosteronism (Conn's syndrome) and pheochromocytoma. This paper will discuss the clinical presentation and diagnostic tests pertinent to these neoplasms, organ damage assessment, utilization of imaging techniques, and the medical and surgical options.