Imaging in systemic hypertension in paediatrics.

The role of imaging is to establish the cause of systemic hypertension, the main focus being the kidneys. All children require a Doppler ultrasound examination followed by a radioisotope study, usually 99mTc-DMSA. This combination will resolve most clinical situations. There is no role for the intravenous urogram in the majority of children. Arteriography and renal vein renin sampling are reserved for a small proportion of children. Imaging should always start with the least invasive procedure with the lowest radiation burden and high radiation techniques reserved for selected cases. The use of ACE inhibition may allow the diagnosis of renovascular disease in paediatrics noninvasively.