Hyperplasia of the Adrenal Medulla in Hypertension of Children

Persistently high blood pressure is rare in child-hood and warrants detailed investigation. Reviews on this subject by McCrory and Nash (1952) and Daeschner and Dodge (1959) have included exten-sive discussion of hormonal factors and adrenal tumours, but they make no mention of adrenal medullary hyperplasia. Adrenal medullary hyperplasia was found on histological examination in two children with hyper-tension. In the absence of a definitive medullary tumour and with negative tests for phaeochromo-cytoma, hyperplasia may play an important role in the production of the hyperpiesia. The study of these two cases, and of one additional unproven case, forms the basis of this paper