1. To understand the increasing requirement for adrenal venous sampling.2. To understand the anatomy of the adrenal veins and important variations.3. To identify the right adrenal vein on CT, the key to a quick and easy procedure.4. To understand venous variations on the left which may impact on the procedure.5. What the results mean.
Since Jerome Conn first described his eponymous syndrome in the early 1950s the importance and frequency of primary aldosteronism has been hotly and passionately argued. Many authors now suggest it is the cause of high blood pressure in up to 10% of unselected hypertensives.Although debate continues, many centres have reported a sharp increase in requests for adrenal vein sampling. At our centre we have performed over 600 such procedures in the last 10 years acheiving 90 to 95% success over many years despite very stringent requirements from our referring unit.This exhibit desribes primary aldosteronism and it's epidemiology and pathology as well as the radiological investigation. It describes why CT on it's own is not adequate for planning patient management. Subsequently it outlines a simple method for adrenal vein sampling with all the variations and difficulties which may arise. Finally we outline how the results contribute to patient management.
Daunt, N,
Stowasser, M,
Adrenal Venous Sampling: How to Make It Quick, Easy, and Successful. Radiological Society of North America 2004 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2004 ,Chicago IL.
http://archive.rsna.org/2004/4410299.html
Cum Laude