Renal Angiography and IntraVascular UltraSonography (IVUS), are valuable diagnosis methods for assessment of renovascular hypertension (RVH). Endovascular techniques employing percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) are effective for therapy of ischaemic nephropathy in patients with RVH. Success of PTRA is limited by a significant rate of restenosis. THE AIM OF STUDY was to compare the assessment of residual stenosis and restenosis with angiography and IVUS.
Material and methods: Residual stenosis after PTRA (combine with intravascular brachyterapy in 33 patients--group I) were assessed in 62 RVH patients with angiography and IVUS techniques. Both baseline and 9-month follow-up quantitative computerized angiography (QCA) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis were performed to assess restenosis.
Results: Residual stenosis after PTRA of atherosclerotic lesions was slightly lower with QCA than IVUS (in group I 15.49 +/- 4.69% and 18.81 +/- 4.81% and in group II 15.36 +/- 4.68% and 18.43 +/- 4.69%, respectively). The loss of lumen area in QCA assessment was slightly greater than in IVUS measurement (1.2 +/- 0.7 mm vs. 0.9 +/- 0.8 mm in group I i 1.7 +/- 0.7 mm vs. 1.5 +/- 0.8 mm in group II). The angiographic measurements of late lumen loss, diameter stenosis, and minimal lumen diameter correlated well with IVUS measurements (r = 0.81, r = 0.89 and r = 0.89 respectively).
Conclusions: Angiography and IVUS are equally effective methods for diagnosis and assessment of residual stenosis and restenosis after endovascular renal artery revascularisation.