Renovascular hypertension--is it fibromuscular dysplasia or Takayasu arteritis

Renovascular hypertension (RVH) can be caused by many different diseases, with the most common being fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) and Takayasu arteritis (TA). A strikingly different diagnostic pattern is seen in children with RVH from different parts of the world. In Europe and North America, these children are mainly diagnosed as having FMD while in Asia and South Africa they will most often get a diagnosis of TA. When comparing the clinical diagnosis for FMD and TA, it becomes obvious that there is a great deal of overlap between the definitions of these two conditions. Different ways to come to the most accurate diagnosis using imaging of the blood vessel wall and positron emission tomography (PET) will be discussed. How an accurate diagnosis should influence the treatment of the children with these conditions will also be addressed.