Update: Selective adrenal venous sampling (AVS) - Indication, technique, and significance

Background Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common detectable cause of secondary hypertension. The majority of patients have either an adrenal aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia (BAH) demanding different therapeutic approaches. Screening tests and imaging cannot reliably distinguish between a unilateral or bilateral PA. Methods This review article gives an overview concerning etiology, diagnostics, and therapeutic options of PA, and reviews the indication, the technique, and relevance of selective adrenal venous sampling (AVS) in the context of the current literature and the authors' experience. Results AVS can verify or exclude a unilaterally dominated secretion with a high success rate. Patients with PA and a unilateral APA can be treated curatively by adrenalectomy. Conclusions AVS is an established diagnostic examination for differentiation of unilateral from bilateral adrenal disease in patients with PA.

Automated summary

This review article provides an overview of the etiology, diagnostics, and therapeutic options of primary aldosteronism, highlighting the importance of selective adrenal venous sampling in differentiating unilateral from bilateral adrenal diseases in patients with PA.