Computed Tomography to Determine the Cause of Primary Aldosteronism

To the Editor: As stated in the article by White and his co-workers in the December 25 issue,¹ after a biochemical diagnosis of primary aldosteronism has been made adrenal cortical scintigraphy can be used to confirm the presence and location of aldosterone-producing adrenal adenomas. Although [¹³¹I]6β-iodomethylnorcholesterol (NP-59) remains under application as an investigational new drug, it has proved efficacy. It will remain an investigational agent because of economic considerations, but it is readily available. Initial and subsequent studies have demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity (90 per cent) and accuracy (90 per cent)² when scintiscans are performed with strict.