Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor renography in the non-invasive diagnosis of renovascular hypertension

Abstract

Patients with renal vascular hypertension (RVH) represent a fraction of % 0.5-%3 within the whole hypertensive patient population. The definitive diagnosis of renal artery stenosis (RAS) as the ethiological factor can only be established by the invasive selective renal angiography. Thus, ruling out RAS with non-invasive diagnostic methods is preferable for both the patient and the clinician. The role of Angiotensin Converting Enzym Renography (ACE-R) in the establishment of the diagnosis of RVH is commonly not well known in Turkey due to the limited number of Nuclear Medicine laboratories. In this article, we present the pathophysiological principle, patient selection criteria, methodology, application and interpretation for ACE-R based on the most recent Consensus report on this subject.