Adrenal Vein Sampling in Primary Aldosteronism: A Pictorial Essay for Optimal Left-Side Sampling

Abstract

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a curable cause of hypertension. Recent studies have revealed that the actual prevalence of PA is higher than previously recognized. Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is an essential diagnostic procedure for revealing the cause of PA and determining the treatment plan. The success of AVS is confirmed by comparing cortisol levels between the samples from each adrenal vein and peripheral vein. The failure rate of the procedure is reported to be high in the right adrenal vein, which is directly connected to the inferior vena cava, while that in the left adrenal vein is relatively low; however, this has rarely been reported. In this review, we introduce and analyze cases of failure in left adrenal vein sampling.

Keywords

• adrenal glands
• catheterization
• blood specimen collection
• hyperaldosteronism
• adrenocorticotropic hormone