ABSTRACT
Little has changed in the last decade regarding people's understanding of renal artery stenosis (RAS) and the role of renal artery interventions. Emerging data from the US Registry for Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) continue to provide insights into the genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical science of this unique arteriopathy. Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS), generally due to aortic atheroma impinging on the renal artery ostia, remains the predominant cause of RAS, affecting an older and more frequently male demographic. Microcirculatory disturbances can potentially mitigate any response to remediation of a proximal renal artery stenosis. Given the current landscape of data for renal angioplasty and stenting in ARAS, all indications for intervention are relative, and further clinical trials will be necessary to definitively define which patients will best benefit from therapy. Computed tomography (CT) studies demonstrate that the right renal artery is often best imaged from a straight anteroposterior (AP) image.
