ARYA Atherosclerosis7220110813Comparing diagnostic techniques of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and Doppler ultrasonography in determining severity of renal artery stenosis260260ENMohammadHashemi JaziMahfarArastehHamidShamsolKetabiAliakbarTavassoliPeymanNilforoushMojganGharipourMSc, Researcher in Clinical Biochemistry, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.. gharipour@crc.mui.ac.ir2011073120110731BACKGROUND: Renal artery stenosis is one of the important causes of hypertension and endstage renal failure. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and Doppler ultrasonography arenon-invasive and safe diagnostic techniques that have also high sensitivity and specificity. Sincethe accuracy and reliability of these techniques depend upon technicians and softwares, wedecided to evaluate and compare the sensitivity and specificity of these techniques in Isfahan.METHODS: Our study included all the patients (37 patients) who underwent renal arteryangiography during 2 years from May 2003 to May 2005 and up to six months after that hadunderwent MRA (21 patients) and Doppler sonography (16 patients) in Isfahan. Renal arteryangiography was considered as the gold standard.RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 100%, 25%, 25%,and 100% were obtained for MRA respectively. Specificity and positive predictive values (PPV)of Doppler sonography were 67%. Its sensitivity and negative predictive values (NPV) were 57%.CONCLUSION: Although it seems that technician dependency, technical and softwareproblems were the reasons of low specificity of gadolinium-enhanced MRA in our study, furtherstudies with larger sample sizes are recommended.Keywords: MRA, Doppler Ultrasonography, Renal Artery Stenosis.