Renal artery stenosis: is angiography still the gold standard in 2011?

Renovascular hypertension (RVH) is an unusual cause of hypertension in children that is important to diagnose as it is potentially curable with angioplasty or surgery. Digital subtraction angiography is the gold standard for diagnosing RVH; for other methods like ultrasound, isotope studies, magnetic resonance angiography and computed tomography angiography sensitivity is still too low to reliably exclude RVH. Clinical and laboratory criteria that suggest RVH will be proposed and recommendations when digital subtraction angiography should be performed will be made. A treatment algorithm that suggests when to use medical treatment, interventional radiology and surgery in children with RVH will be given.