How does malignant hypertension differ from accelerated hypertension
What is “malignant hypertension,” and how does it differ from “accelerated hypertension”?
Malignant hypertension is the term historically given when severely elevated blood pressure was accompanied by retinal hemorrhages, exudates, and originally papilledema. The term arose in the 1920s when no effective treatment was available, and the prognosis of patients with this condition was similar to cancer. Now that treatment is available and effective, the term is used predominantly by hospital-based coders. In the last millennium, “accelerated hypertension” was severely elevated blood pressure without papilledema; this term is now only rarely used outside its historical context.
