Diagnostic criteria of renovascular hypertension with captopril renography a consensus statement

Captopril-stimulated renography is emerging as a useful diagnostic tool in the evaluation of the hypertensive patient. The primary indica­tion for renography with angiotensin convert­ing enzyme (ACE) inhibition is screening hypertensive patients with clinical clues suggestive of renovascular hypertension. The purpose of the screening test is to assist in clinical decision-making. Therefore, clinical in­vestigators and nuclear medicine physicians are encour­aged to analyze their data and present results with re­spect to the number of patients studied, not number of kidneys studied. The overall goal of this combined tech­nology is to identify patients that have the anatomic lesion of renal artery stenosis who are likely to have renin-dependent hypertension (and possibly renal dys­function) that may be correctable with intervention such as renovascular surgery or percutaneous renal angio­plasty. Investigators are strongly encouraged to report renal artery anatomy (normal, renal artery stenosis > 50%, renal artery stenosis ^ 75%, renal artery stenosis occluded), number of arteries affected, systemic blood pressure, and renal function for all patients. Reporting of follow-up data of these parameters is also encour­aged.