The Overlooked Diagnosis: Unraveling a Case of Gaisböck Syndrome

Gaisböck's syndrome, first described by Félix Gaisböck in 1905, refers to the association of high blood pressure with an elevated hematocrit level in male patients, with a normal white blood cell count and in the absence of splenomegaly. We report the case of a young diabetic and smoking male who presented with severe hypertension and polycythemia. After ruling out other causes, a diagnosis of Gaisböck's syndrome was made. Antihypertensive treatment and lifestyle changes normalized his parameters.