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Query: UMLS:C0020538 (hypertension)
 170,190 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Aortic dissection is uncommon in young women and is associated with clinical conditions such as pregnancy and Marfan's syndrome. Owing to the low incidence, diagnosis of acute aortic dissection in young women might be missed or delayed in patients who have neither risk factors nor typical clinical manifestations. We report the case of a 28-year-old postpartum woman with aortic dissection. The patient complained of abdominal discomfort, transient back pain, and general malaise at our emergency department 1 week after delivery of a healthy baby. She had no history of hypertension, connective tissue disease or congenital heart disease. Cardiovascular insult was not considered until the patient developed shock. Myocarditis or peripartum cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dysfunction was diagnosed based on imaging studies and cardiac enzyme levels. Finally, computed tomography revealed acute aortic dissection after hemodynamic collapse occurred. This case suggests that acute aortic dissection can be associated with left ventricular dysfunction, and non-specific clinical symptoms in young, normotensive, and postpartum women. A high index of clinical suspicion and alertness are needed to identify this condition.
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PMID:Acute aortic dissection associated with left ventricular dysfunction in a postpartum and normotensive young woman. 1287 72

Dexamethasone-cyclophosphamide pulse (DCP) is the prefered mode of therapy in pemphigus in India because it is relatively free from the side effects seen with heavy doses of daily oral steroids. One hundred forty-six pemphigus patients treated with DCP were observed for side effects of this regimen. One hundred forty mg of dexamethasone was administered IV in 200 ml of 5% dextrose over a period of 60-90 minutes on 3 consecutive days. Five hundred mg of cyclophosphamide was added on first day of the pulse and 50 mg given orally daily in the intervening period. DCP was repeated every 4 weeks and continued for 6 months after subsidence of the disease (no new lesions). Flushing over the face was the most common event recorded during the adiministration in 78 subjects followed by palpitations in 11, hiccups in 9, and numbness of feet in 6. Fourteen patients had polyurea, and 3 developed skin rash. Shivering, shooting pains along thighs, breathlessness, seizure and unilateral limb edema were observed in one patient each. Generalized weakness/malaise was the most troublesome delayed side effect in 81 (55.4%) patients; it lasted for 8-15 days after the pulse. Thirty-six (24.6%) had inadequate sleep syndrome, 23 (15.7%) had headache, 21 (14.3%) complained of arthralgias, 19 (13%) experienced alteration in taste, and 13 (9%) had diffuse hair loss. 28 females developed menstrual disturbances, and 14 (9.5%) had blurring of vision (glaucoma in 3 and posterior subcapsular cataract in 1). Thirteen of eighteen diabetics had an increase in blood sugar requiring higher doses of insulin. Five NIDDM patients needed insulin. Four (2.7%) developed hypertension. Pulse therapy is not absolutely free from side effects. Hypertension and diabetes occur less frequently as compared to conventional steroid therapy. Generalized weakness, flushing, headache and taste alteration occur exclusively with pulse therapy.
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PMID:Immediate and delayed complications of dexamethasone cyclophosphamide pulse (DCP) therapy. 1468 52

DEFINITION, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, THERAPY: The hypertensive crisis is characterized by a massive, acute rise in blood pressure. Patients with underlying hypertensive disease usually have an increase in systolic blood pressure values > 220 mmHg and diastolic values > 120 mmHg. The severity of the condition, however, is not determined by the absolute blood pressure level but by the magnitude of the acute increase in blood pressure. Thus, in the presence of primarily normotensive baseline values (such as those in eclampsia), even a systolic blood pressure > 170 mmHg may lead to a life-threatening condition. The most important causes are non-compliance (reduction or interruption of therapy), inadequate therapy, endocrine disease, renal (vessel) disease, pregnancy and intoxication (drugs). The management of this condition greatly depends on whether the patient has a hypertensive crisis with organ manifestation (hypertensive emergency) or a crisis without organ manifestation (hypertensive urgency). By documenting the medical history, the medical status and by simple diagnostic procedures, the differential diagnosis can be established at the emergency site within a very short period of time. In the absence of organ manifestations (hypertensive urgency) the patient may have non-specific symptoms such as palpitations, headache, malaise and a general feeling of illness in addition to the increase in blood pressure. In a hypertensive urgency the patient's blood pressure should not be reduced within a few minutes but within a period of 24 to 48 hours. Such adjustment can be achieved on an out-patient basis, however, only if the patient can be followed up adequately for early detection of a renewed attack. In the absence of follow-up facilities, the patient's blood pressure should be reduced over a period of 4 to 6 hours, if necessary in an out-patient emergency service. While intravenous medication is given preference when a rapid effect is desired, oral medication may be used for gradual reduction on an out-patient basis, depending on the patient's medical history and on any underlying chronic disease. Organ manifestations in the course of a hypertensive emergency concern the cardiovascular system and are associated with the symptoms of acute left-ventricular heart failure, the acute coronary syndrome or acute aortic dissection. In the brain the patient may have symptoms of hypertensive encephalopathy, hemorrhage, ischemia; in the kidney he/she may develop acute failure. The patient's blood pressure should be reduced rapidly during the treatment. It should not be reduced to the normal value, but by approximately 20-30% of the baseline value. The reason for a stepwise reduction in blood pressure is the fact that patients with chronic hypertension have an altered autoregulation curve. Acute normotension would lead to hypoperfusion in these patients. Those with aortic dissection or pulmonary edema are excepted from the rule of gradual blood pressure reduction. In the presence of these diseases, blood pressure must be reduced rapidly to normal values. Patients with a hypertensive emergency should always be admitted to the hospital. Parenteral treatment is given preference, since the effect of the treatment is rapid and occurs within a calculable period of time. Thus, parenteral treatment can also be better regulated than medication administered orally or by the sublingual route. Several antihypertensives are available for this purpose. The selection of the substance greatly depends on the existing organ failure as well as the reliable effectiveness and the regulability of the applied antihypertensive.
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PMID:[Hypertensive emergency and urgence]. 1468 6

Although patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), especially those with antiphospholipid antibodies, have a high incidence of arterial and venous thrombotic manifestations, renal infarction has been rarely reported in these patients and is probably underestimated. A 9-year-old boy with renal infarction, diagnosed by computed tomography and scintigraphy, is described. Initially he complained of severe flank pain; he had no urinary abnormalities and his blood pressure was normal. No evidence of systemic disease was found. He responded well to antibiotic treatment without the need for immunosuppressive therapy. In subsequent years he presented a spectrum of clinical symptoms, including fever, malaise, arterial hypertension headache, and mononeuritis multiplex, accompanied by an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and transitory proteinuria. This suggested vasculitis involving peripheral vessels as well as the central nervous system. Treatment with oral prednisone and azathioprine led to remission. Four years after the renal infarction, the child presented with recurrence of systemic disease. The diagnosis of SLE was established, with positive antiphospholipid antibodies. The sudden appearance of severe unexplained flank pain should alert the clinician to a possible underlying renal vessel thrombosis. Renal venous thrombosis is probably much more common; however, renal arterial thrombosis and infarction in association with SLE with positive antiphospholipid antibodies should be added to the differential diagnosis.
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PMID:Renal infarction in a child with systemic lupus erythematosus. 1506 40

Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is an uncommon and usually lethal congenital malformation. The present report describes an unusual case of IAA, an aneurysmal ascending aorta and a bicuspid aorta in a 15-year-old boy. He presented with general malaise, weakness of his legs, headache and hypertension that began six months earlier. He had suffered from effort intolerance since childhood. A three-dimensional gadolinium contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiogram demonstrated IAA and a markedly developed collateral circulation. IAA is an uncommon disease that is rarely encountered in an adolescent patient with nonspecific symptoms or hypertension. The present case also shows the clinical value of three-dimensional gadolinium contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for noninvasive assessment of the aortic arch, and magnetic resonance angiography can replace angiography in the assessment of aortic arch anomalies and visualization of well-developed collaterals.
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PMID:Interrupted aortic arch in an adolescent male. 1556 2

Cushing's syndrome is characterized by endogenously increased production of glucocorticoids. The activity of immune system is regulated mainly by two systems in the body. Glucocorticoids and NF-kappaB counteract the effects of each other on the immune system. It has been reported that immune response is exaggerated after the amelioration of Cushing's syndrome. We report a rare case of exacerbation of Graves' disease after unilateral adrenalectomy for Cusing's syndrome. A 50-yr-obese woman with hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance wasadmitted to outpatients clinic of endocrinology. The results of evaluation of glucocorticoids metabolism and adrenal magnetic resonance imaging revealed the Cusing's syndrome. We also assessed thyroid function tests because of the diagnosis of goiter and thyroid hormone replacement in her medical history, and the presence of exophthalmia and tachycardia in examination. Althoug TSH level was detected at the lower border of normal range, free T4 and free T3 were in normal range and autoantibody of thyroidal peroxidase and thyroglobulin was higer than normal reference range. An operation was performed and a mass was removed from her left adrenal gland. The pathologic examination confirmed adrenal adenoma. She was re-admitted to the outpatient clinic 9 months after with complaints of palpitation, malaise and weight loss. Tests carried out to determine the thyroid function revealed Graves' disease. We prescribed propylthiouracil and beta-blocker treatment.
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PMID:Exacerbations of Graves' disease after unilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome. 1571 57

Pheochromocytomas are known to be rare causes of sudden death. A 49-year-old man with a medical history of arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus complained about nausea and malaise in the morning. During the day his condition deteriorated. He went to the emergency department, where he was given intravenous drugs against nausea and was sent home. On the way back, his condition deteriorated dramatically so that his wife drove back to the emergency room, where he collapsed and sustained cardiac arrest; resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Autopsy revealed a large tumour of the left adrenal gland. The strong suspicion of pheochromocytoma was confirmed by histology, immunohistochemistry and biochemical investigations. An acute hypertensive crisis, caused by the hitherto unknown pheochromocytoma was ascertained as the cause of death. The morphological findings are presented, the difficulty to diagnose pheochromocytoma and the medico-legal implications are discussed.
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PMID:Non-diagnosed pheochromocytoma as a cause of sudden death in a 49-year-old man: a case report with medico-legal implications. 1598 39

The aetiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown; however, recent evidence suggests excessive free radical (FR) generation may be involved. This study investigated for the first time levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin-F(2 alpha)-isoprostanes alongside other plasma markers of oxidative stress in CFS patients and control subjects. Forty-seven patients (18 males, 29 females, mean age 48 [19--63] years) who fulfilled the Centres for Disease Control classification for CFS and 34 healthy volunteers (13 males, 21 females, 46 [19--63] years) were enrolled in the study. The CFS patients were divided into two groups; one group had previously defined cardiovascular (CV) risk factors of obesity and hypertension (group 1) and the second were normotensive and nonobese (group 2). Patients had significantly increased levels of isoprostanes (group 1, P=0.007; group 2, P=0.03, unpaired t test compared to controls) and oxidised low-density lipoproteins (group 2, P=0.02) indicative of a FR attack on lipids. CFS patients also had significantly lower high-density lipoproteins (group 1, P=0.011; group 2, P=0.005). CFS symptoms correlated with isoprostane levels, but only in group 2 low CV risk CFS patients (isoprostanes correlated with; total symptom score P=0.005; joint pain P=0.002; postexertional malaise P=0.027, Pearson). This is the first time that raised levels of the gold standard measure of in vivo oxidative stress (isoprostanes) and their association with CFS symptoms have been reported.
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PMID:Oxidative stress levels are raised in chronic fatigue syndrome and are associated with clinical symptoms. 1608 77

Results of a 6-year follow-up study were used to determine whether the concept of and the criteria for metabolic syndrome as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) can be applied to Japanese men for prediction of the occurrence of cardiac disease. The subjects were 808 men who underwent mass health check-ups in 1993 and who were not on medication for hypertension, diabetes or hyperlipidemia. Individuals who had hypertriglyceridemia, hypo-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterolemia, high blood pressure, and/or high fasting plasma glucose levels were identified on the basis of the NCEP-ATP III criteria. Not in conformity with the NCEP-ATP Ill, however, a cut-off value of 85 cm was used for waist girth as an indicator of abdominal obesity. The subjects who had 3 or more risk factors were judged as having metabolic syndrome. The proportion of subjects having metabolic syndrome was 25.3%. In the 6-year follow-up study, cardiac disease occurred in 11.7% of the subjects in the metabolic syndrome group and in 6.7% of the subjects in the non-metabolic syndrome group. Results of regression analysis using Cox's proportional hazards model showed that subjects in the metabolic syndrome group had a 2.2-times greater risk of developing cardiac disease than did subjects in the non-metabolic syndrome group. The concept of metabolic syndrome as defined in the NCEP-ATP III was therefore considered to be useful for predicting the occurrence of cardiac disease in Japanese men.
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PMID:Metabolic syndrome and cardiac disease in Japanese men: applicability of the concept of metabolic syndrome defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III to Japanese men--the Tanno and Sobetsu Study. 1609 62

56 year-old male presented to the University of Mississippi Medical Center emergency department (ED) with complaints of progressive shortness of breath, productive cough, fever, and malaise. His past medical history was significant for hypertension as well as a 60 pack-year history of smoking. Upon arrival to the ED he had a temperature of 103.6 degrees F, blood pressure of 80/40 mm Hg, a pulse of 110 beats per minute, respirations of 28 per minute, and an oxygen saturation of 50% on room air. He appeared to be in significant respiratory distress. Lung examination revealed diffuse bilateral rhonchi and wheezes in all lung fields. He was emergently intubated. Chest radiograph demonstrated a miliary pattern scattered throughout all lung fields in addition to parenchymal opacities. A complete blood count revealed a white blood cell count of 33,500 10(3)/microL, hematocrit of 37%, and platelets of 906,000 10(3)/uL. Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were 27 mg/dL and 1.0 mg/dL, respectively. Initial ABG on 100% oxygen showed pH 7.15, pCO2 82 mm Hg, and pO2 62 mm Hg. Troponin I was negative. An electrocardiogram demonstrated sinus tachycardia. Blood and urine cultures were obtained.
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PMID:Mystery in the basement. 1611 97


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