Images in cardiovascular medicine. Simultaneous morphological and functional assessment of a renal artery stent intervention with intravascular ultrasound.

A 73-year-old woman with a history of high blood pressure and hypercholesterolemia developed medically uncontrolled hypertension (200/100 mm Hg). Serum creatinine level was 145 μmol/L, and creatinine clearance was 34 mL/min. Renal ultrasound demonstrated a small right kidney (80 mm long) compared with the left one (92 mm long). Left ventricular hypertrophy was present on the ECG and was confirmed by echocardiography. On isotope radiography with 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine after oral intake of 25 mg captopril, the right kidney was small, with delayed excretion and impaired function (36%). Renal arteriography showed subocclusive ostial stenosis of the right renal artery. The lesion was related to a calcified plaque extending from the aortic wall into the renal artery ostium (angiogram I in Figure 1⇓, arrow). After an unsuccessful angioplasty attempt in the interventional radiology department (failure to cross the stenosis), the patient was investigated in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. The lesion was crossed with a hydrophilic guidewire and predilated. A short (9-mm) stent was then implanted by use of a 4.5-mm balloon inflated up to 18 atm for postdilatation (angiogram II). The immediate result of the intervention was assessed by both biplane …