Segmental renal vein renin assay and segmental nephrectomy for correction of renal hypertension.

Selective segmental renal vein catheterization was used to obtain venous blood samples for renin assay. With this technique a localized source of hypersecretion of renin was identified in 2 patients. Using samples from the main renal veins we found no significant difference in renin activity and, therefore, the etiology of the hypertension in these 2 patients would have been missed. Segmental nephrectomy resulted in a cure of the hypertension in both patients who were followed for a minimum of 14 months.