NEUROVASCULAR COMPRESSION OF THE VENTROLA TERAL MEDULLA IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

Magnetic resonance tomography is a useful and appropriate technique in the detection of neurovascular compression. This is the first prospec tive investigation in living subjects which shows that looping anomali es adjacent to the ventrolateral medulla and the root entry zone of th e cranial nerves IX and X are significantly more common in patients wi th essential hypertension compared to secondary renal hypertension or to normotensive subjects. Our data raise the issue, that there is a re lation of essential hypertension to pathological vessel-nerve-contacts in the ventrolateral medulla. To give further support for our hypothe sis controlled trials are warranted to test the role of neurovascular compression in the etiology of essential hypertension. This may includ e microneurographic studies or operative interventions.