Successful management of a resistant renal artery stenosis in a child using a 4 mm cutting balloon catheter

Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) is a well-established method to treat renal artery stenosis (RAS) in children and adults. However, a significant number of stenoses might not be treated by interventional techniques due to the inability to dilate the RAS. Conventional balloon angioplasty with a high-pressure coronary angioplasty balloon at 20 atm was unable to dilate a significant RAS in a 12-year-old child with severe renovascular hypertension (RR 195/125 mm Hg). After using a 4 mm cutting balloon, we achieved wide patency of the renal artery and an instant normalization of blood pressure without further need of anti hypertensive therapy. PTRA using the cutting balloon technique may offer an additional therapeutic option for selected patients in whom conventional balloon angioplasty was not able to dilate RAS. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.