[Renovascular hypertension]

Renovascular hypertension (RVH) is one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension. In about 90% of cases it is due to atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, often accompanied by severe occlusive disease in the other vessels, and as such carries a bad prognosis. In the remaining 10% patients (usually young women) the underlying vascular lesion is fibromuscular dysplasia. A presence of RVH should be suspected in patients with severe or resistant hypertension, sudden decline of renal function, sudden development or worsening of hypertension, flash pulmonary edema, impairment of renal function after treatment with renal-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) antagonists. Those patients should be screened with Doppler ultrasound, followed by computer tomography or magnetic resonance angiography. In most cases intensive and well-controlled medical treatment with RAAS blockers, aldosterone and/or calcium antagonists, with an addition of statins and platelet-inhibiting drugs is succesful. However in a selected cases renal revascularization may be necessary.