PURPOSE: To identify structural lesions in the wall of uterine arteries in hypertensive women. METHODS: Twenty six patients who underwent an elective hysterectomy were selected and separated in two groups. Group 1 was formed by women with normal blood pressure and group 2 consisted of hypertensive patients without regular treatment. Two segments of the uterine artery were obtained from every patient shortly after surgery. The fragments were fixed, sliced and stained. The morphological study was carried out using optical microscopy. RESULTS: Age was similar in both groups with means of 46.8+7.6 and 46.7+6.4 years-old in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The average maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressure during hospital admition were 130.0+3.4 and 83.8+6.5mmHg in the control group and 163.8+4.3 and 105.8+9.9mmHg in the hypertensive group (p<0.0001). Hypertensive women had larger intimal thickness (p<0.05). Elastic fibers were also more numerous and homogeneous in group 2. Cellular hypertrophy was more common in this group than in control patients (53.8% vs 23.1%). CONCLUSION: Hypertension seems to accelerate the age-related increase in intima thickness. Hypertensive women have more numerous and homogeneous elastic fibers in the wall of the uterine artery. These findings indicate that hypertension may determine structural changes similar to vascular aging.
arterial hypertension; vascular changes; morphology
