Imaging Renal Artery Stenosis

Hypertension affects up to 58.4 million people in the United States and is one of the most common diseases worldwide, with well known morbidity and mortality. The vast majority of patients who have hypertension, approximately 90% to 98%, have essential hypertension without structural lesions or other abnormalities identifiable by currently available imaging modalities. It is estimated that only 0.5% to less than 5% of all patients who have hypertension have true renovascular hypertension defined as hypertension secondary to renal artery stenosis. This article reviews the imaging of renal artery stenosis.