Microvascular decompression for hypertension--clinical and experimental study.

Balloon compression of the left IXth and Xth cranial nerves and ventrolateral medulla oblongata in dogs resulted in statistically significant increases in blood pressure without obvious changes in cardiac output. Five of 21 hypertensive patients with trigeminal neuralgia or hemifacial spasm demonstrated normalized blood pressure following microvascular decompression for arterial compression of the brainstem in the area of the IXth and Xth cranial nerves on the left. Our experimental and clinical results suggest that neurogenic hypertension caused by the vascular compression of the medulla oblongata can be relieved by microvascular decompression.