Renovascular hypertension and captopril-enhanced renal scintigraphy

Renovascular hypertension (RVH) is a secondary hypertension that is caused by the renal artery stenosis and is curable by surgical treatment. Sensitivity and specificity of CRS for RVH have been reported to be in exceed of 90%. Captopril-enhanced renal scintigraphy (CRS) has become an important tool in the diagnosis of RVH. In addition, the recent reports indicate that CRS is a promising means of prognostic evaluation in re-vascularization of RVH. In this report, pathophysiological considerations, methods, diagnostic criteria, diagnostic efficacy and consideration for clinical application are reviewed.