Renovascular hypertension from renal artery compression by congenital bands

Renal artery compression by fibromuscular bands containing sympathetic nerves and ganglia was encountered in 3 of 75 patients with renovascular hypertension. The hypertension was successfully managed by resection of the bands. The absence of mortality and morbidity dictates that the "stenotic" area of the renal artery be explored, especially in children and adults with minimal angiographic evidence of visceral atherosclerosis, before proceeding with a bypass graft to the renal artery.