Persistence of unilateral secretion and contralateral renin suppression after successful percutaneous transluminal dilatation in a normotensive patient.

We describe a case of a 26-year old woman with severe fibromuscular renal artery stenosis whose blood pressure was well controlled with atenolol but that remained normotensive also after discontinuation of the drug. In addition her renal vein renin pattern was typical of renovascular hypertension and an intrarenal activation of inactive renin was also present. This renin pattern remained unchanged soon after successful percutaneous transluminal dilatation whereas 15 days later both active and inactive forms of renin were found to be released by the previously stenotic kidney. This case casts doubts upon the relationships between renal artery stenosis, renin secretion and high blood pressure.