Arterial hypertension (AH) is one of the most frequent diseases of the cardio-vascular system. The medico-social importance of the disease is determined by its high frequency, including 25% of the mature people. AH is a main risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and the connected with it cardiovascular and brain-vascular pathology. For years was thought, that AH during childhood is a rare disease. The contemporary knowledge shows that 5-6% of the school children are with hypertension. Depending on the etiology, AH is divided into primary, in which the causes of the high blood pressure are complex and not fully known, and secondary or symptomatic arterial hypertension (SAH), in which the high blood pressure is due to another main disease. It is considered that SAH represents 15-20% of the hypertension. As smallest is the age in which are found the high levels of blood pressure, the highest is the probability that this is SAH. In the recent review are shown the most frequent causes for the occurrence of SAH. These are diseases mostly of the urinary system - parenchymal and reno-vasal, of the cardio-vascular system - coarctation of the aorta, persistent arterial canal, lesions of the aortic valve, diseases of the endocrine system - pheochromocytoma, Cushing disease, diseases of the nervous system - tumors, neuroinfections, cranial traumas, iatrogenic hypertension - taking of mineral corticosteroids, anticonception drugs, etc. The main methods for diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for SAH are presented.
Scripta Scientifica Medica 2009; 41(2): 129-131.
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