OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of vascular color Doppler ultrasound as compared with digital subtraction arteriography for identifying hemodynamically significant renal artery stenoses. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-seven renal arteries from 69 adult patients suspected of having renovascular arterial hypertension were prospectively studied with ultrasound. The results obtained were compared in a double-blind manner with those obtained on digital subtraction arteriography, and the following parameters were calculated according to previously defined criteria: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy. RESULTS: The inconclusive results (7 arteries) were excluded. The comparison of the 2 methods in regard to the 130 remaining arteries showed concordant results for 116 (89.2%) arteries and discordant results for 14 (10.8%) arteries. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy of vascular color Doppler ultrasound were, respectively, 95.33%, 88.14%, 89.86%, 94.55%, and 91.94%. CONCLUSION: A good correlation between the 2 examinations was observed in the evaluation of the hemodynamically significant renal artery stenoses, making vascular color Doppler ultrasound a noninvasive method useful for selecting patients with suspected renovascular hypertension.
hypertension; renal artery; ultrasound
