[Reno-vascular hypertension: prognosis variations according to the method; surgery, or medical treatment. Retrospective study of 114 cases (author's transl)].

A retrospective study made of 114 cases of renovascular hypertension was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of different types of treatment. In this series, with a follow-up of 18 months to 9 years, a favourable result with regard to blood pressure was obtained in 45% of cases with surgery, in 63% of cases with medical treatment and in 88% of cases if treatment included beta-blockers. Medical treatment represents a valid alternative to surgery in hypertension of this type, regardless of the amount of renin secretion and whatever the criteria of ischaemia. The choice of surgery as a method of treatment thus depends above all upon the age of patient, the type of stenosis and the anatomical risk represented by the vascular malformation. Despite the very spectacular results of medical treatment, it remains essential to seek a renal cause for hypertension, since many renal conditions which require specific treatment present with hypertension alone.