Hyperaldosteronism classification

Hyperaldosteronism Main page
Patient Information
Overview
Classification 1- Primary hyperaldosteronism 2- Secondary hyperaldosteronism 3- Pseudohyperaldosteronism causes (low renin)
Differentiating diagonsis
History and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

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Classification

• E26.0: Primary hyperaldosteronism, often caused by an adrenal cortical adenoma (a tumor), is also known as Conn's syndrome.
• E26.1: Secondary hyperaldosteronism is due to overactivity of the renin-angiotensin system.

In endocrinology, the terms primary and secondary are used to describe the abnormality (e.g. elevated aldosterone) in relation to the defect, i.e. the tumor's location. The adjective primary refers to an abnormality that directly leads to pathology, i.e. aldosteronism is caused by the apparatus that generates aldosterone. Secondary refers to an abnormality that indirectly results in pathology through a predictable physiologic pathway, i.e. a renin producing tumor leads to increased aldosterone, as the body's aldosterone production is normally regulated by renin levels.