Diagnosis

Your doctor might check for the condition if he or she hears an abnormal sound in your upper stomach area or your neck that could be caused by the narrowed arteries. If someone in your family has or had fibromuscular dysplasia or aneurysm, your doctor might recommend checking you for the condition, even if you have no signs or symptoms.

Your doctor will perform a physical exam and order blood tests, including blood sugar and cholesterol levels, to check for signs of atherosclerosis, another condition that can narrow your arteries.

Tests to diagnose fibromuscular dysplasia could include:

• Duplex ultrasound. This noninvasive imaging test can determine if an artery is narrowed. An instrument called a transducer is pressed to your skin to send sound waves into your body. They bounce off cells and body structures, showing how fast your blood flows and the size and shape of the blood vessels.
• CT angiogram. This test provides cross-sectional images of your body, which can show narrowing in the arteries, aneurysms and dissections. You lie on a narrow table, which slides through a doughnut-shaped scanner. Before the test starts, you'll receive an injection of a dye, which highlights areas of the body being examined.
• Magnetic resonance (MR) angiogram. This test uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create images of the body. It can see if you have an aneurysm or dissection. During the test, you'll lie on a narrow table that slides into a tubelike machine that's open on both ends. Before the test starts, you might receive an injection of a dye, which highlights areas of the body being examined.
• Catheter-based angiography. During this commonly used test for fibromuscular dysplasia, a thin tube (catheter) is inserted into one of your arteries and moved until it reaches the area your doctor wants to examine. A tiny amount of dye is injected and X-rays are used to examine the area.

The most common form of fibromuscular dysplasia looks like a "string of beads" on imaging tests. Other forms of fibromuscular dysplasia have a smooth focal appearance.

Once you've been diagnosed with fibromuscular dysplasia, your doctor will follow you clinically. Occasionally, for example if you have an aneurysm, or if your symptoms change, you may need repeat imaging to monitor the arteries.