THE CHANGES IN THE BLOOD PRESSURE AND IN THE RENAL BLOOD FLOW AND GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE OF HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS FOLLOWING UNILATERAL NEPHRECTOMY

Abstract

Five patients with hypertension and unilateral kidney disease were studied with the diodrast and inulin clearance tests both before and after extirpation of the diseased kidney. The renal blood flow was reduced in 4 of the 5 patients before operation, and following operation, the remaining normal kidney showed an increase in its blood flow of about 100% in 4 of the 5 cases. The inulin clearance varied greatly in each case before operation, but after operation, it increased in 4 of 5 patients. 4 of the 5 patients showed some reduction in their blood pressure following operation, but none were normotensive despite the fact that 3 cases had a normal renal blood flow in the remaining kidney, indicating that hypertension can occur without the presence of renal ischemia.