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Aortogram in a 62-year-old white woman demonstrating subtotal
occlusion of the left main renal artery supplying an atrophic
left kidney and high-grade ostial stenosis of the proximal
right renal artery from atherosclerosis. This patient presented
in 1977 with a recent appearance of hypertension and a blood
pressure of 170/115 mm Hg. Three years previously, when
diagnosed with polycythemia vera, an IVP was normal. She
was followed closely between 1974 and 1977 by her physician
and was always normotensive until the hypertension suddenly
appeared. A repeat rapid sequence IVP demonstrated a reduction
in the size of the left kidney from 14 cm in height (1974)
to 11.5 cm in height (1977). The serum creatinine was 2.6
mg/dL. The renal arteriogram shown here indicates high-grade
bilateral renal artery stenosis with the left kidney measuring
11.5 cm in height, and the right kidney measuring 14.5 cm
in height. Renal vein renins were obtained and lateralized
strongly to the smaller left kidney. The blood pressure
was well controlled with inderal and chlorthalidone. Right
aortorenal reimplantation was undertaken solely to preserve
renal function. Postoperatively the serum creatinine fell
to 1.5 mg/dL and remained at this level for the next 13
years. Blood pressure continued to require antihypertensive
medication, but was controlled to normal levels with inderal
and chlorthalidone.
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