PS-R04-7: UNSOLVED CASE OF RESISTANT HYPERTENSION: A CHALLENGING ISSUE IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

Abstract

Introduction: It is difficult to find a definite etiology of resistant hypertension (RH) in developing countries due to limited resources. We present a case report and discuss RH's diagnosis and treatment approaches, which we suspected owing to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) after extensive assessment, including nuclear imaging and renal arteriography. Case presentation: A 58-year-old female was referred to Hasan Sadikin General Hospital for RH assessment. Having conducted ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography, which suggested hypertensive heart disease, we confirmed the diagnosis of RH in this patient. The patient has a 4-year history of hypertension, accompanied by throbbing headaches and snores. She underwent percutaneous coronary intervention two years ago due to angina. During the physical examination, she was fully alert with a blood pressure of 170/90 mmHg and a heart rate of 62 times/minute, mild exophthalmos, and cardiomegaly. Her renal (including proteinuria), and thyroid function were within normal limits. Echocardiography revealed concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with normal LV systolic function. An abdominal Computed Tomography indicated pheochromocytoma or adrenal tumor. Metanephrines examination was not feasible due to cost issues. Using metaiodobenzylguanidine scan (Tc-99 and I-131), nuclear imaging failed to establish diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Renal artery ultrasonography increased the suspicion of renal artery stenosis; however, renal arteriography showed mild renal artery stenosis. We referred the patient to a neurologist for OSA screening, from STOP-Bang questionnaire result indicated that the patient was likely to have OSA. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was inconclusive due to unavailability of polysomnography facility. The unavailability of minoxidil, renal denervation and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) hinders the optimal treatment in this patient. The blood pressure target remains unachievable despite Amlodipine 1x10 mg, candesartan 2x16 mg, bisoprolol 1x10 mg, tamsulosin 1x400 mg, spironolactone 1x50 mg, dan isosorbide mononitrate 2x2.5 mg consumption. The unavailability of chromatography-mass spectrometry for evaluation of medication adherence was also a significant limitation. Conclusion: This case showed that the blood pressure remains uncontrolled despite six different medications, which may be due to the untreated etiology of secondary hypertension. Furthermore, although extensive examinations have been performed, a definite diagnosis could not be made due to cost/facility issues for other diagnostic approach. To further complicate matters, the evaluation of medication adherence and optimal treatment were not available. Therefore, RH remains a challenging issue in developing countries.