MORIMOTO Satoshi
   Department   School of Medicine(Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital), School of Medicine
   Position   Associate Professor
Article types Case report
Language English
Peer review Peer reviewed
Title Decreases in blood pressure and sympathetic nerve activity by microvascular decompression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla in essential hypertension.
Journal Formal name:Stroke
Abbreviation:Stroke
ISSN code:00392499/00392499
Domestic / ForeginForegin
Volume, Issue, Page 30(8),pp.1707-10
Author and coauthor Morimoto S†*, Sasaki S, Takeda K, Furuya S, Naruse S, Matsumoto K, Higuchi T, Saito M, Nakagawa M
Authorship 2nd author
Publication date 1999/08
Summary BACKGROUND:Neurovascular compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla, a major center regulating sympathetic nerve activity, may be causally related to essential hypertension. Microvascular decompression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla decreases elevated blood pressure.CASE DESCRIPTION:A 47-year-old male essential hypertension patient with hemifacial nerve spasms exhibited neurovascular compression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla and facial nerve. Microvascular decompression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla successfully reduced blood pressure and plasma and urine norepinephrine levels, low-frequency to high-frequency ratio obtained by power spectral analysis, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity.CONCLUSIONS:This case suggests not only that reduction in blood pressure by microvascular decompression of the rostral ventrolateral medulla may be mediated by a decrease in sympathetic nerve activity but also that neurovascular compression of this area may be a cause of blood pressure elevation via increased sympathetic nerve activity.
DOI 10.1161/01.str.30.8.1707
PMID 10436125