How to easily overlook hypertension in young children? Case studies

Introduction
Accurate blood pressure measurement enables proper diagnosis and treatment. Oscillometric devices are popular and comfortable, but verification with auscultatory method is recommended.

Case reports
We present two cases of children in whom determining of the real value of blood pressure was challenging. The first was a girl with middle aortic syndrome, whose blood pressure at home was surprisingly well controlled on low doses of antihypertensive medications. The second was a boy whose diagnosis of hypertension was delayed because of false negative results of oscillometric blood pressure measurement.

Conclusions
The presented case studies are in line with the recommendation to confirm the results of an oscillometric method with an auscultatory one. Medical assessment should always be based on careful examination, awareness of the natural course of diseases leading to hypertension, and on a comparison between examined and expected symptoms in a particular disease.