Fibromuscular Dysplasia — Research Summary
Printed from RareWays (rareways.com.au) on 24 September 2026
For general awareness only. Not medical advice. Discuss all care options with your healthcare team.
5 Most Recent Research Articles
- 1.
Prevalence of aortic findings among patients with multifocal fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) seen at a specialised referral centre.
Ji Karen et al. — Open heart (18 September 2026)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42760095/
- 2.
Fibromuscular dysplasia and aortic involvement: a systematic review for a potential association.
Zedde Marialuisa et al. — Journal of hypertension (18 September 2026)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42777112/
- 3.
Aortopathy Associated with Fibromuscular Dysplasia.
Takagi Hisato — The American journal of medicine (1 September 2026)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42486587/
- 4.
Rapidly progressive vasculopathy in an infantile-onset fibromuscular dysplasia.
Hatai Eriko et al. — European journal of medical genetics (1 September 2026)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42551786/
- 5.
Neuro-images: "string of beads" at vertebral artery origin: 3-year angiographic follow-up after stenting for fibromuscular dysplasia.
Sun Xiaoxin et al. — Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (15 August 2026)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42601533/
Source: RareWays research directory. Data from PubMed, Europe PMC, OpenAlex, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Always verify information with your healthcare team before making any decisions about your care.
Fibromuscular Dysplasia
Fibromuscular dysplasia is a rare condition in which the walls of medium-sized arteries develop abnormally, causing narrowing, bulging or tearing. The arteries to the kidneys and the neck are most often involved, which can lead to high blood pressure, headache, neck noise or, less often, stroke. Care includes blood pressure medicines, antiplatelet therapy where appropriate, imaging surveillance and sometimes angioplasty.
Most Recent Research
BACKGROUND: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a non-atherosclerotic vascular disease that affects medium-sized arteries with multifocal (beaded) or focal stenotic lesions, aneurysms, dissections and tortuosity. The extent of aortic involvement in FMD is uncertain. This study evaluates the prevalence and characteristics of aortic findings in patients with multifocal FMD. METHODS: Single-centre, retrospective chart review of patients with multifocal FMD seen from January 2019 to July 2024. Patients ≥18 years with complete aortic cross-sectional imaging were included. Demographic, medical history, family history and vascular phenotype were collected. Aortic pathologies were characterised: aneurysms (thoracic diameter ≥4 cm, abdominal diameter ≥3 cm), ectasia, dissection, stenosis and anatomical anomalies. RESULTS: Of 360 patients (353 female, 98.1%), aortic involvement was identified in 36 patients (10.0%; 95% CI 7.3% to 13.5%): three acute aortic syndromes (<1%), eight aneurysms (2.2%), 17 ectasias (4.7%) and nine congenital anomalies (2.5%). Among those with aortic involvement (n=36), three (8.3%) were male, four (11.1%) had a family history of aneurysm, two (5.6%) had a family history of dissection and nine underwent clinical genetic testing for aortopathies, all of which were negative. All aortic aneurysms and ectasias were in the proximal thoracic aorta (eight aortic root, 17 ascending aorta). No aortic stenosis was found. Of the nine congenital anomalies, seven had an aberrant right subclavian artery, one had ductus diverticulum and one had coarctation. Compared with patients without aortic involvement, those with aortic involvement were more likely to be male and have non-aortic arterial aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Aortic findings, predominantly presenting as thoracic ectasia or aneurysm, were identified in 10% of patients with multifocal FMD and complete aortic imaging seen at a single specialised referral centre. These findings support recommendations for head-to-pelvis imaging for patients with FMD and highlight the need for further research into the genetic and systemic aspects of this disease.
Common Questions
What is Fibromuscular Dysplasia?
Fibromuscular dysplasia is a rare condition in which the walls of medium-sized arteries develop abnormally, causing narrowing, bulging or tearing. The arteries to the kidneys and the neck are most often involved, which can lead to high blood pressure, headache, neck noise or, less often, stroke. Care includes blood pressure medicines, antiplatelet therapy where appropriate, imaging surveillance and sometimes angioplasty.
How many clinical trials are available for Fibromuscular Dysplasia?
RareWays currently indexes 17 clinical trials for Fibromuscular Dysplasia, of which 8 are actively recruiting. Trial availability changes as new studies are registered — check the trials tab for current status.
Where does the research data for Fibromuscular Dysplasia come from?
RareWays aggregates research from PubMed, Europe PMC, OpenAlex, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Data is updated regularly by Rocky, RareWays' automated research engine. All articles and trials link directly to their original sources.
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This information is for general awareness only.
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