During the last few years, renal hypertension has become a subject of
increasing importance. The development of improved radiological
techniques, notably intravenous and intra-arterial digital subtraction
angiography, has made the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis more
reliable, while advances in vascular surgery and the introduction of
percutaneous trans luminal angioplasty have caused major changes in
clinical practice. The increasing use of such potent antihypertensive
agents as the angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitors has empha-
sized the problem of renal artery stenosis in older patients with wide-
spread vascular disease as well as improving the prognosis of patients
with accelerated hypertension. This book examines the surgical and
medical aspects of renal hyper- tension in the light of these recent
advances. Each chapter has been written by a recognized expert in the
field and provides information of relevance and practical importance to
the average clinician. The developments of the last decade have
emphasized that renal hyper- tension is no longer a matter only for the
nephrologist but a subject on which all clinicians should be well
informed.