Pathological patterns and surgical treatment of renal artery stenosis in renovascular hypertension.

Atherosclerosis and dysplasia are the most common lesions affecting the renal artery, causing stenosis and renovascular hypertension. Surgical revascularization of the ischemic kidney in properly selected patients has proved to be the treatment of choice. The different pathological characters of dysplastic lesions are examined and compared with the ones of atherosclerotic disease, in surgically treated patients. Correlations between angiographic and histological aspects are also considered. The recognition of these different pathological patterns is important for the selection of the most suitable surgical procedures. The results of a personal technique of arterial reconstruction and angioplasty are reported.