Renal artery stenosis resident survival guide

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Karol Gema Hernandez, M.D. [2]

Definition

This section provides a short and straight to the point definition of the disease or symptom in one sentence.

Life-threatening causes include conditions which may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.

❑ Determine if one or more of the above is present

Scenario	Level of evidence
1.Onset of hypertension before the age of 30 years or severe hypertension after the age of 55	Class I; LOE B
2. Accelerated, resistant, or malignant hypertension	Class I; LOE C
3. Development of new azotemia or worsening renal function after administration of an ACE inhibitor or ARB agent	Class I; LOE B
4. Unexplained atrophic kidney or size discrepancy between kidneys of greater than 1.5 cm	Class I; LOE B
5. Sudden, unexplained pulmonary edema	Class I; LOE B
6. Unexplained renal dysfunction, including individuals starting renal replacement therapy	Class IIa; LOE B
7. Multi-vessel coronary artery disease	Class IIb; LOE B
8. Unexplained congestive heart failure	Class IIb; LOE C
9. Refractory angina	Class IIb; LOE C

❑If one or more of the above are present, proceed to further diagnostic testing

Noninvasive Imaging

Invasive Imaging

❑ Duplex ultrasound

❑ Gadolinium enhanced MRA

❑ CT angiography

❑ Abdominal aortography to assess the renal arteries during coronary and peripheral angiography

Negative noninvasive test but with high clinical suspicion

Evidence of RAS

Renal angiography

Evidence of RAS

Confirmed RAS, proceed to treatment

Algorithm based on the 2013 AHA Guidelines Recommendations for Management of Patients with PAD.^[1]