A patient is admitted to the hospital with complaints of a severe headache and tinnitus. His blood pressure is 202/118 mm Hg. The patient is diagnosed with malignant hypertension, which is most commonly caused by:

Explanation

• Malignant hypertension, or hypertensive crisis, is most commonly caused by untreated hypertension

• Less common causes include abrupt discontinuation of antihypertensive medication, illicit drug use, certain prescription drugs, neoplasms, glomerulonephritis, hyperthyroidism, and pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal gland)

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