Renovascular hypertension (RVHT) is systemic hypertension due to haemodynamically significant RAS of the main renal artery or its proximal branches.1 From a haemodynamic point of view, a stenosis is significant when there is a demonstrable pressure gradient. The pressure drop beyond the stenosis triggers intrarenal

adaptive mechanisms leading to renal ischaemia and hypertension.2 At least a 50% narrowing is necessary to produce such a pressure gradient, as shown by a study combining three-dimensional MRA and direct measurements across a stenotic lesion.3 Therefore, despite lack of consensus, most authors use a reduction in luminal diameter of 50% as a cut-off point, to define the presence of haemodynamically significant RAS.4 Atherosclerosis accounts for 70–90% of cases of RAS and usually involves the ostium and proximal third of the main www.selleckchem.com/products/VX-765.html renal artery.5,6 FMD is a collection of vascular diseases that affects either intima, media or adventitia and is responsible for 10–30% of cases of RAS.5,7 The prevalence of RAS in an unselected hypertensive population varies between 1% and 5%.8 This increases to 20–40% in patients who exhibit specific clinical symptoms buy LY2157299 or signs of RVHT.6 The IA-DSA is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis of RAS. However, it is invasive, does not establish the functional nature of the stenotic lesion and is subject to substantial inter-observer

variations.9,10 Conventional IA-DSA is hazardous, especially in those patients most likely to be studied, where co-existing aortic disease may result in athero-embolic complications and therefore clinicians will continue to rely on non-invasive methods as initial diagnostic steps.11 These guidelines are an attempt to provide an overview of diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility of three contemporary imaging modalities: duplex ultrasound, CTA and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance

angiography (CE-MRA) for the detection of RAS in patients with clinically suspected RVHT. Functional tests of the renin-angiotensin system, including Lenvatinib molecular weight captopril renography, are not included in these guidelines. They are not recommended in elderly atherosclerotic patients because hypertension in these patients is not renin-dependent and the results do not reliably predict the course of hypertension after revascularization.5 Databases searched: The terms used to define arterosclerotic renovascular disease were ‘renal artery obstruction’ (as a MeSH term and text word) and ‘renal artery stenosis’, ‘renovascular disease$’ and ‘renal artery occlusion$’ as text words were combined with relevant MeSH terms and text words for diagnosis. The search was performed in Medline (1950 to April 2009). The Cochrane Renal Group Trials Register was also searched for trials not indexed in Medline. Date of searches: 2 April 2009.