Open partial nephrectomy for pediatric renovascular hypertension

Pediatric renovascular hypertension is typically managed with revascularization, angioplasty, or radical nephrectomy. We describe the case of a 13-year-old boy with medically refractory renovascular hypertension who presented to our institution after a failed arterial bypass. Subsequent angiography and renin sampling of the segmental renal veins suggested that the lower pole of the kidney was affected exclusively by the relative hypoperfusion. We proceeded with an open partial nephrectomy in order to excise the affected region of the kidney, while preserving maximum renal function. The patient was normotensive off all antihypertensive medication and without complications 8 months postoperatively. We believe that partial nephrectomy is a reasonable treatment for children with renovascular hypertension secondary to segmental hypoperfusion, and it should be considered as alternative therapy.