Primary Aldosteronism Complicated by Hypokalemic Rhabdomyolysis. A Clinical Case

Abstract

Abstract Primary aldosteronism (PA) is one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension, which in less than half of cases is manifested by hypokalemia. In cases where hypokalemia becomes significant, it can lead to muscle weakness or even paralysis. Such patients are often unsuccessfully treated by neurologists or rheumatologists. In our clinical case a 61 year old patient had rapidly developing symptoms, which were interpreted by ambulance paramedics as an acute cerebrovascular accident. Since the patient was admitted to a multidisciplinary hospital, he was examined by doctors of different specialties, the diagnostic direction was set correctly and rhabdomyolysis was already detected at the initial stage. We excluded various causes of myopathy, which ultimately led us to the most likely cause of this condition - hypokalemia, and explained muscle symptoms. As a result, it helped us to identify the correct diagnosis - aldosteronism. The patient quickly recovered due to the prescribed therapy and felt good, and therefore refused surgical treatment (adrenalectomy), which, perhaps, would allow him to fully recover. Thus, a rare clinical case of differential diagnosis and successful drug treatment of PA with hypokalemia, which is manifested by rhabdomyolysis, is presented.