A predictive nomogram for incomplete clinical success after unilateral adrenalectomy in patients with primary aldosteronism.

INTRODUCTION

Incomplete clinical success after unilateral adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism (PA) remains a significant challenge, often characterized by persistent hypertension despite biochemical remission.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and validate a preoperative predictive nomogram to estimate the probability of incomplete clinical success in PA patients undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 58 PA patients who underwent adrenalectomy. Independent predictors of non-complete clinical success were identified using multivariate logistic regression. A nomogram was developed based on age, highest systolic blood pressure (SBP), and lateralization index (LI). Model performance was evaluated through the concordance index (C-index), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis, with internal validation performed via bootstrapping (1,000 resamples).

RESULTS

Age (OR 1.117), highest SBP (OR 1.241), and LI (OR 1.044) were independently associated with incomplete clinical success. The nomogram showed strong discriminative ability (C-index: 0.829) and good calibration. Internal validation confirmed its reliability (AUC: 0.844, sensitivity 84.2%, specificity 75.0%).

CONCLUSION

This nomogram offers a reliable, easy-to-use tool for preoperative risk stratification of PA patients, facilitating personalized postoperative management. External validation in multicenter cohorts is warranted.