Renovascular hypertension

Renovascular hypertension results from a lesion that impairs blood flow to a part or all, of one or both kidneys. 3-10% of children referred for the evaluation of severe hypertension are subsequently found to have clinically significant renovascular lesions Renovascular hypertension is the second most common cause of correctable hypertension in children second only to coarctation of the aorta. Specific therapeutic options now available, justify the often-invasive investigations required to confirm the diagnosis of renovascular hypertension. A systematic evaluation of the child with hypertension will help the pediatrician select correctly, the child most likely to have renovascular hypertension, thus reducing the number of children exposed to the risks involved with diagnostic but invasive investigations like renal arteriography which remains the gold standard Other non-invasive newer modalities like doppler ultrasonography, computed duplex sonography, ACE inhibited radionuclide imaging, and MR/CT/spiral CT angiography may be used depending on the availability of the facilities. Definite therapeutic options for renal artery stenosis include angioplasty, stenting and surgical re-vascularization using a bypass graft.