Plasma renin and aldosterone in an abdominal pregnancy with toxemia.

The first reported measurement of plasma renin and aldosterone in toxemia with an abdominal pregnancy is presented. In contrast to toxemia where plasma renin and aldosterone are either normal or low, extraordinarily high levels of both were found in this patient which returned to normal after delivery. The role of extrarenal renin in the hypertension of toxemia is discussed and the possibility raised that the elevated renin in this case was of placental origin.