Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis: from diagnosis to treatment.

Renovascular hypertension represents a form of correctable hypertension and preventable renal failure. Such patients need to be identified early so that specific therapy can be instigated. Patient identification requires a high index of suspicion in patients with certain clinical features. Subsequent non-invasive imaging may result in angiography which is required for diagnostic purposes and for planning intervention. Correctable therapy takes one of two forms, namely percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty, with or without stenting, or surgical revascularisation, together with modification of underlying risk factors.