Changes in the pulse wave form with flow through vessels with repetitive saccular dilatations and stenosis

Several patients with fibroplasia of the renal arteries without significant stenosis were found to have surgically reversible renal hypertension. The hypothesis is advanced that receptors in the kidney may respond to altered wave form by causing an increase in blood pressure. Various models of normal and pathological renal arteries were made and tested in a pulse duplicator. A discrete harmonic analysis was made of input and output waves. The results indicate that nodular, non-stenotic models significantly alter the systolic rise in perfusion pressures to the kidney. Therefore, irregularity of vessel lumen without stenosis may be sufficient to alter organ function.