Contributor Name: Joerg F. Debatin

Date: 01-01-2002

Hospital: Essen, University Hospital

Patient History

63-year-old patient referred to MR-Angiography for suspected renovascular hypertension.

Image Findings

AP and oblique MIP displays of the arterial 3D data set demonstrate a moderate (< 50 %) stenosis of the left renal artery.

Targeted MIP of the left renal artery confirms the diagnosis.

Results and Discussion

Grading of stenosis and renal arteries based on MRA data sets can be difficult. The technique tends to overestimate the degree of lesions. In part this reflects limited spatial resolution. In the presented case the left renal artery stenosis caused less than a 50 % reduction in the luminal diameter and therefore is deemed not haemodynamically significant.