title: Vascular color Doppler ultrasound for assessing renovascular hypertension: accuracy of the direct technique for assessing the renal arteries.
abstract: 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%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo Vascular Periférico, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. engelhor@bsi.com.br
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Engelhorn
authors.forename: Ana Luiza
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Engelhorn
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pullig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction / Q000592:standards; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006978:Hypertension, Renovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000592:standards*