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)