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Neurovascular compression in essential hypertension: cause, consequence or unrelated finding?

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 21, pages 179–181 (2007)Cite this article

Vascular compression at the region of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) oblongata was reported as a possible cause of hypertension. Seventy-one patients with severe essential hypertension and 51 control subjects were examined by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in a blind manner. As no significant differences were found in the prevalence of neurovascular compressions among the groups, vascular compressions at the examined area seem to be a nonspecific finding unrelated to hypertension.

The RVLM is an important brain stem centre that controls blood pressure. Based on neurosurgical observations, Jannetta1 put forward a hypothesis proposing neurovascular compression of the RVLM to be a source of arterial hypertension. He also reported that surgical treatment of the neurovascular compression at the left RVLM relieved hypertension. To date, articles describing small series of hypertensive patients treated by surgical decompression have been published.2, 3 MR examination represents the best available assessment of neurovascular contacts. However, the results of published MR studies widely differ. A central issue is whether neurovascular compression of the RVLM is a cause or rather a consequence of hypertension because high blood pressure may result in elongated arteries, leading to neurovascular compression.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by Ministry of Health Grant Agency of the Czech Republic No NA/6169-3 and Cardiovascular research project of the Charles University Prague, no. MSM0021620817.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

    J Ceral & M Solař

  2. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

    J Žižka, P Eliáš & L Klzo

  3. EuroMISE Centre of Charles University and Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Computer Science AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic

    J Reissigová

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  1. J Ceral
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Correspondence to J Ceral.

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Ceral, J., Žižka, J., Eliáš, P. et al. Neurovascular compression in essential hypertension: cause, consequence or unrelated finding?. J Hum Hypertens 21, 179–181 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002124

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