Primary aldosteronism, characterized by hypertension, hypokalemia, and hyperalodsteronism resulting from oversecretion of aldosterone independent of increased plasma renin activity, is mostly due to adrenocortical adenoma. Twelve hypertensive
patients
with primary hyperaldosteronism who had been surgically treated, were evaluated retrospectively. The age ranged from 28 to 56 years(mean 432 years) and sex ratio of male to female was 2 to 10. The patients had had a history of hypertension
between
2 and
3 years. The diagnosis was made by clinical and laboratory testing which demonstrated elevated plasma aldosterone level with suppressed plasma renin activity and hypokalemia. All patients were revealed to adrenal adenoma. The location ofd adenoma
were
left side in 8 and right side in 4. The surgical approachs were transperitoneal in 6 patients (ant. subcostal incision in 5 patients and ant. midline incision in 1 patient) and retroperitoneal in 6 patients(flank incision in 5 patients (2
patients
with
10th rib resenction, 2 patients with 11th resecton and 1 patient with 12th rib resection) and posterior incision in 1 patient). The surgical specimens of adrenal gland were revealed as adrenocortical adenoma in all cases. Most patients were
normalized
in clinical symptoms and postoperative laboratory findings. We think that among the above various surgical approach emthods, flank incision with 10th rib resection was best method for getting good operative field and if the familarity of the
surgeon is
obtained, posterior approach will be another good approach method.
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