Unilateral renal agenesia in the angiographic material and renovascular hypertension

Analysis of 1216 abdominal aortographies and selective renovasographies undertaken at the Institute of Radiology, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka during the period 1979-1985, was performed 39 (3.2%) unilateral renal agenesias were established, a percentage that is significantly higher than reported by other authors. Analysis of all angiographic parameters of a single kidney was also worked out. A significantly high percentage (66.7%) of hypertension was diagnosed in this group. Congenital renal failures make their appearance in the early embryological development and are discovered, if compatible with life, most frequently at an advanced age. Statistical data on the frequency during a lifetime are less reliable because a great number of anomalies are never discovered during a person's life. The etiology of variations and congenital failure of renal arteries is unknown in 90% of the cases, and most of the malformations are without characteristic symptomatology. Since the anatomic relations in anomalous kidney are disturbed, the sign of the disease can develop atypical forms causing frequent errors in diagnosis. The kidney is supplied by numerous lateral branches of the medial sacral artery, i.e. the aorta, during embryological development. Later, some of them degenerate or mutually connect themselves, and the definitive kidney has been usually penetrated by only one artery and one vein on the same side.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)