Renal artery stenosis: the use of duplex ultrasound as a screening technique

Over an 18-month period, 44 patients with hypertension were referred for evaluation of the renal arteries by duplex Doppler ultrasound. Those patients referred were pre-selected in that they were either young, or suffering from accelerated hypertension. Eleven patients (12 arteries) were considered to have characteristics suggesting renal artery stenosis. Of the 11 patients, nine have submitted themselves for further evaluation by angiography and radionuclide renography. These further investigations have identified seven true positive and three false positive results. Criteria for duplex diagnosis of renal artery stenosis are presented and a possible role for duplex Doppler ultrasound as a screening tool for renal vascular hypertension is discussed.