Magnetic resonance angiography in the evaluation of renal arteries: imaging findings

Objective: to describe indications, main findings and diagnosis of magnetic resonance angiographies of renal arteries. Materials and methods: a retrospective study including 56 imaging studies covering a total of 111 renal arteries, performed during the period between December 6, 2001 and March 11, 2004. The angiographies were performed in a 1.5 T scanner, in compliance with the Department protocol. Results: as regards sex, it was found that 55.4% (n = 31) patients were male and 44.6% (n = 25) were female. The youngest patient was 12 years old and the oldest 88 years old. From a total of 25 different clinical indications, systemic arterial hypertension was the principal one with 26.7% (n = 15), followed by abdominal and/or lumbar pain with 12.5% (n 7), abdominal aortic aneurysm with 10.7% (n = 6), renal artery stenosis with 8.9% (n = 5), and others. Among these 56 studies, 43 (76.7%) had different types of findings and 13 (23.2%) were normal. The majority of findings were related to vascular diameter and amongst them, parietal irregularities, aneurysms and stenosis were the most frequent. Parietal irregularity was the most frequent alteration in the right renal artery with 17.87% (n = 10) and stenosis, in the left renal artery, with 25.45% (n = 14). Conclusion: magnetic resonance angiography has shown to be an excellent non-invasive method for evaluation of renal arteries, because of its sensitivity and multiplanar capacity for demonstrating vascular structures. (author)