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    Diagnostic procedure in renovascular hypertension.
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    Abstract:
    Detection of a renal artery stenosis (RAS) as a cause of arterial hypertension is of great practical importance because dilatation of the stenosis frequently results in an improvement or cure of the hypertension. In recent years, a number of screening procedures aimed at diagnosing renovascular hypertension have been developed, e.g., duplex sonography of the renal arteries, determination of plasma renin activity, or renal scintigraphy following administration of captopril. The possibilities and limitations of these screening procedures are described here. The best method for detecting renal artery stenosis is angiography, which can now be performed on an outpatient basis, using thin catheters.
    Keywords:
    Renovascular Hypertension
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    Captopril
    Plasma renin activity
    Renal artery stenosis is the cause of progressive ischemic nephropathy and of renovascular hypertension. Due to the invasiveness of arteriography, which is claimed to be the gold standard at the present time, several noninvasive imaging techniques are available. Colour Doppler sonography is cost-effective, but magnetic resonance angiography and computer tomography are more expensive; however, both are potential candidates for the definition of a new gold standard. Evaluation of renal vasculature by means of Doppler sonography includes intra- and extrarenal scanning as well as power Doppler and the use of contrast agents for enhancement of the Doppler signals. Computed tomography angiography is a minimally invasive method for the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis. There is high diagnostic accuracy that is not significantly different from that of angiography with respect to main and accessory renal arteries and detection of clinically significant renal artery stenoses. The main advantages over angiography are the use of an intravenous approach, and direct information provided about the vessel wall and adjacent structures. However, the nephrotoxicity of contrast material remains a major concern. Magnetic resonance angiography of the abdominal aorta and renal arteries has advanced considerably over the past few years. Recently developed breath-hold three-dimensional magnetic resonance angiography provides a new promising, noninvasive technique to evaluate the abdominal aorta and its large branch vessels. Using this technique, high sensitivity and specificity is achieved. The improved image quality and the ability to detect vascular lesions is due to short acquisition time with elimination of respiratory artifacts over an entire imaged volume by single breath-hold acquisition. Computed tomography angiography with its fast acquisition time and high spatial resolution compares favorably with magnetic resonance angiography and colour Doppler sonography. However, as compared with Doppler sonography and magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography images display only anatomic information and lack of flow sensitivity.
    Renovascular Hypertension
    Abdominal aorta
    Magnetic resonance angiography
    Gold standard (test)
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Color Doppler US, CT Angiography (CTA), and GD-enhanced MR Angiography (MRA) compared with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for the detection of renal artery stenosis in patients with clinically suspected renovascular hypertension. Fifty-eight patients with suspected renovascular hypertension were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent Color Doppler US, CTA and GD-enhanced MRA. DSA was the gold standard method for the number of renal arteries, existence and degree of stenosis, or evidence of fibromuscular dysplasia. DSA depicted 132 renal arteries, 16 stenoses, and 4 arteries with fibromuscular dysplasia. Color Doppler US failed to detect 1 main and 14 polar arteries. CTA depicted all main renal arteries and 7/16 polar arteries, but failed to detect stenosis in two accessory vessels. Likewise, MRA did not detect stenotic accessory renal arteries, depicted 9/16 polar renal arteries, but missed two main renal arteries. All methods depicted the four main renal arteries with fibromuscular dysplasia. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive accuracy were 75%, 89.6%, 60% and 94.6%, respectively, for color Doppler US; 94%, 93%, 71%, and 99%, respectively, for CTA; and 90%, 94.1%, 75%, and 98%, respectively, for GD-enhanced MRA. CTA and GD-enhanced MRA have comparable and satisfactory results with respect to the negative predictive accuracy of the suspected renal artery stenosis. The concept of an imaging algorithm including US as screening test when appropriate and CTA or MRA as the second step-procedure is suggested. Therefore, DSA may be reserved for cases with major discrepancies or therapeutic interventions.
    Fibromuscular Dysplasia
    Renovascular Hypertension
    Digital subtraction angiography
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    Citations (177)
    Renovascular hypertension is a potentially curable form of high blood pressure. However, it is unclear how best to select patients who are likely to have renovascular hypertension, what diagnostic strategy to use in these selected patients, and how to predict the hemodynamic significance of a renal artery stenosis. We determined the prevalence of renovascular hypertension in adults who exhibited suggestive clinical features. In these clinically selected patients, we then determined the test characteristics of various diagnostic and potential screening tests. Renovascular hypertension was diagnosed if correction of renal artery stenosis resulted in decreased blood pressure. Of the 66 hypertensive adults evaluated, 11 (16.7%) had renovascular hypertension. Captopril-stimulated peripheral renin activity detected renovascular hypertension with 73% sensitivity, 72% specificity, 38% positive predictive value, and 92% negative predictive value. Less optimal combinations of sensitivity and specificity were found for differential glomerular filtration rate renography, differential effective renal plasma flow renography, and selective renal vein renin ratios, each performed after a single dose of captopril. Intravenous digital subtraction renal angiography detected all patients with renovascular hypertension and was normal in 71% of patients with essential hypertension. To evaluate potential screening tests for renovascular hypertension, we calculated predictive values applied to a low prevalence population. If the observed sensitivities and specificities apply to a population with 5% prevalence of renovascular hypertension, captopril-stimulated peripheral renin would have a positive predictive value of 12% and a negative predictive value of 98%. In 16 patients with known renal artery stenosis, neither the captopril-stimulated renal vein renin ratio nor captopril-stimulated differential renography accurately predicted blood pressure response to correction of the stenosis. We conclude that clinical criteria can identify a subgroup with 16.7% prevalence of renovascular hypertension. In this high prevalence group, intravenous digital subtraction renal angiography will identify virtually all patients with renovascular hypertension, and a normal study will be sufficient to exclude renovascular hypertension. In unselected hypertensive patients, screening with captopril-stimulated peripheral renin activity may be the most useful and efficient procedure for identification of patients with renovascular hypertension. Functional tests do not accurately predict the hemodynamic significance of a renal artery stenosis.
    Renovascular Hypertension
    Captopril
    Plasma renin activity
    Renal vein
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    Citations (97)
    Renal artery stenosis may produce hypertension, and this condition is referred to as renovascular hypertension (RVH).To evaluate, by using multidetector-row spiral computed tomographic angiography (MDCTA), whether a relationship between accessory renal artery stenosis and hypertension may be hypothesized.214 patients (142 males, 72 females; mean age 66 years) who had previously undergone an MDCTA to study the abdominal vasculature were retrospectively studied. Patients with renal artery stenosis (RAS) were excluded from this analysis. The patients were studied by means of a four-detector-row CT, and scans were obtained after intravenous bolus administration of 110-140 ml of a nonionic contrast material with a 3-6 ml/s flow rate. As a second step, by means of statistical analysis, hypertension data were compared with findings of accessory artery stenosis. Two radiologists first independently reviewed the MDCTA images and then, in case of disagreement, in consensus. Interobserver agreement was calculated for all measurements.The overall number of detected accessory renal arteries was 74 in 56 of the 214 patients. Accessory renal artery stenosis was detected in 21 of the 56 patients. There was a difference in the prevalence of hypertension between patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 35) accessory renal artery stenosis (P = 0.0187). Interobserver agreement was good (kappa value 0.733).Any statistical association between the presence of accessory renal artery stenosis and hypertension could not be disclosed. However, accessory renal artery stenosis, detected by MDCTA, is an important pathological sign that the radiologist has to assess in the light of its possible association with hypertension.
    Computed tomographic angiography
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    Multidetector computed tomography
    Computed Tomography Angiography
    Citations (18)
    Several investigators have reported methods for the use of renal scintigraphy in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis. We report the experience of Duke University Medical Center, and offer some suggestions for standardizing and optimizing the use of this potential screening tool. We evaluated 140 clinically selected hypertensive adults with postcaptopril renal scintigraphy (renography), pre- and postcaptopril peripheral renin activity, and conventional renal arteriography. Postcaptopril renography (using 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) to measure glomerular filtration and [1 3 1I]iodohippurate to measure renal plasma flow) was considered abnormal if one kidney contributed 47% or less of total activity. Postcaptopril renin was considered elevated if it was at least 4 ng/mL/h. Renovascular disease was defined as 50% or greater main renal artery stenosis. Of 140 subjects, 31 (22%) had significant renovascular disease. Captopril-stimulated DTPA renography suggested asymmetric function in 24 (74%) of these, but was also abnormal in 61 of 109 (56%) with normal renal arteries. Captopril-stimulated hippuran renography performed in a similar manner. Captopril-stimulated renin activity was elevated in only 58% of subjects with renal artery stenosis, and had a false positive rate of 24%. These data differ from reports from other centers, perhaps due to differences in renography methods, criteria for interpretation of renography, and/or patient selection criteria. Am J Hypertens 1991;4:711S-715S
    Captopril
    Renovascular Hypertension
    Radioisotope renography
    Plasma renin activity
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    Citations (26)
    We studied 45 hypertensive subjects to evaluate the usefulness of captopril test for identifying renal artery stenosis and small congenital kidney with the hypoplasia of the renal artery. In 18 hypertensives with hippuran renogram indicating renovascular disease, and in 27 essential hypertensives, the plasma renin activity (PRA) responses to an oral test dose (50 mg) of captopril were studied. A 60-minute post captopril PRA increase of 150% (or 400% if baseline PRA less than 3 ng/ml/h) was considered as positive. Digital venous angiography was performed in all cases. In the group of 18 subjects small congenital kidney in 7, and renal artery stenosis in 11 subjects were detected by angiography. Captopril test resulted negative in all patients with small congenital kidney (mean PRA% increase 58). The test identified 7 of the 11 renal artery stenoses (mean PRA% increase 477), sensitivity and specificity were 64% and 100% respectively. In the essential hypertensives-group, mean PRA% increase was 122; there were three false positives, and both sensitivity and specificity were 88%. This study demonstrates that the PRA response to oral captopril test is a useful screening test for distinguishing small congenital kidney from renal artery stenosis and for identifying the latter in hypertensive patients.
    Captopril
    Renovascular Hypertension
    Plasma renin activity
    Renal Artery Obstruction
    Essential hypertension
    Citations (0)