**Author details**

**7. Conclusions**

110 Advancements and Breakthroughs in Ultrasound Imaging

sion.

In summary, sonography is essential in the workup of a hypertensive patient. Abdominal sonography should be performed in the evaluation of hypertension. The last European guidelines have emphasized that treatment-induced changes of organ damage affect the incidence of cardiovascular events, thereby recommending performance of organ damage examinations including sonography during treatment. When a search for secondary hyper‐ tension is indicated, abdominal sonography and Doppler ultrasound of the renal arteries are also recommended. Table 2 summarizes the use of ultrasound in the evaluation of hyperten‐

Abdominal ultrasound Identification of subclinical and end-organ damage (recommended) • Aortosclerosis • Aortic aneurysm • Nephrosclerosis

• Renal parenchymal disease • Renal vascular disease • Adrenal adenomas • Phaeochromocytoma Echocardiography Identification of subclinical and end organ damage (recommended)

> • Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) • Systolic and diastolic dysfunction • Left atrium dimension and geomertry

• Renovascular hypertension Ultrasound of the carotid arteries Identification of subclinical and end-organ damage (recommended) • Intima – media thickness (IMT)

> • Carotid plaques • Carotid artery stenosis

• Endothelial dysfunction

In summary, sonography is essential in the workup of a hypertensive patient. Abdominal sonography should be performed in every newly diagnosed case of hypertension. Performance of further ultrasound techniques depends on age, concomitant diseases, symptoms, and overall cardiovascular risk. Table 2 summarizes the use of ultrasound in the evaluation of

Screening for secondary causes of hypertension

Identification of subclinical organ damage (not in clinical use)

**Ultrasound examination Use in diagnostic workup of hypertension**

Doppler ultrasound of the renal arteries Screening for secondary causes of hypertension

Assessment of flow-mediated dilation of

**Table 2.** Ultrasound examinations in hypertension

brachial artery

hypertension.

Nikolaos Pagonas, Stergios Vlatsas and Timm H. Westhoff

\*Address all correspondence to: timm.westhoff@charite.de

Charité – Campus Benjamin Franklin, Dept. of Nephrology, Berlin, Germany
