Leiomyosarcoma of the abdominal aorta: a rare cause of renovascular hypertension.

We describe the case of a 44-year-old woman who presented with renovascular hypertension caused by primary leiomyosarcoma of the abdominal aorta that had metastasized into the renal arteries. Despite an extensive radiological evaluation, the diagnosis was mistaken first for Takayasu's arteritis and then for retroperitoneal hematoma or neoplasm. The patient developed renal failure due to bilateral renal infarction, and died 3 months after her initial presentation with ischemic colitis. Postmortem examination confirmed the diagnosis.