Estimation of the ratio of renal artery stenosis with magnetic resonance angiography using parallel imaging technique in suspected renovascular hypertension.

Background: Renovascular hypertension, which may lead to end-stage renal failure, necessitates prompt diagnosis and medication. Although various diagnostic tools exist for evaluation of renal arteries, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), with the improvement of hardware and software systems, has become a very promising technique in screening patients with suspected renal hypertension. In this study, we aimed to assess renal artery stenosis on MRA in patients with suspected renovascular disease using a parallel imaging technique which allows faster scanning with higher resolution.

Methods: Eighty-four patients with hypertension underwent MRA and digital angiography.

Results: MRA detected renal artery stenosis with a sensitivity rate ranging from 69.3 to 100% and specificity rate ranging from 85.7 to 96%.

Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced MRA of renal arteries is very effective in the demonstration of renal artery stenoses and assessment of stenosis ratio. Furthermore, parallel imaging technology has improved this procedure by reducing the scan time. Renal MRA, as a diagnostic tool, can accurately direct patients with renovascular disease to intravascular treatment.