Benign vs. malignant hypertension

Q. I’m a bit confused on terminology. Is secondary hypertension the same as malignant? And is systemic hypertension also the same as malignant?

A. “Systemic hypertension” is just general, all-over-the-body hypertension. It’s what people usually mean when they say “hypertension”.  There is also something different called “pulmonary hypertension” which we’ll talk about when we get to lung.

Question: I’m a bit confused on the terminology of hypertension. Is secondary hypertension the same as malignant hypertension? Is systemic hypertension also the same as malignant hypertension?

Answer: “Systemic hypertension” is just general, all-over-the-body hypertension. It’s what people usually mean when they say “hypertension”.  There is also something different called “pulmonary hypertension” which we’ll talk about some other time when we’re discussing lung pathology.

There are two big divisions in systemic hypertension: benign hypertension and malignant hypertension. Benign hypertension accounts for almost all cases of systemic hypertension. It has a long clinical course. It can either be primary (almost all cases), in which the cause is unknown, or secondary (rare cases), in which you can figure out the cause (usually it’s renal disease).

Malignant hypertension accounts for only a small percentage of cases of systemic hypertension. It has a rapid and dangerous course. It usually arises in a patient with preexisting benign hypertension, but it can also arise in a person with normal blood pressure.