renal biopsy

Renal biopsy is performed on selected patients with kidney disease.

The decision on whether or not to proceed to a renal biopsy is usually made by a nephrologist.

The safety of renal biopsy is affected by the following conditions:

Other centres will admit patients who have had renal biopsy overnight for observation.

Like most invasive medical procedures, a renal biopsy is not without risk (see Complications).

A native renal biopsy is one in which the patient's own kidneys are biopsied.

For transplant renal biopsy, the patient lies on their back (supine).

Diagnosis rarely requires a renal biopsy since there is usually a classical clinical presentation.

The majority of bleeding that occurs following renal biopsy usually resolves on its own without long-term damage.

Often, such cases do not require extensive workup (such as with renal biopsy).

A detailed description of renal biopsy interpretation is beyond the scope of this article.

The cause of acute renal failure can usually be determined without renal biopsy.

In a transplant renal biopsy, the kidney of another person that has been transplanted into the patient is biopsied.

Serious complications of renal biopsy are uncommon.

This is determined by renal biopsy.

Renal biopsy is typically performed by a nephrologist or interventional radiologist.

Where definitive diagnosis is required, a biopsy of the kidney (renal biopsy) may be performed.

Indications for renal biopsy in the setting of AKI include:

Most hospitals will observe patients who have had renal biopsy for 4-6 hours and allow discharge home if there are no observed complications during this period.

Targeted renal biopsy can be used to obtain tissue from a tumour arising from or adjacent the kidney.

Renal biopsy of the patient showed acute tubular necrosis with glomerular minor abnormalities.

When undertaken, renal biopsy has usually shown interstitial nephritis, although minimal change nephropathy has been reported.

A nephrologist will have to satisfy themselves that a renal biopsy is of appropriate benefit to justify the risks of the procedure before proceeding.

For surveillance of hidden disease involving the transplant kidney, so-called protocol renal biopsy undertaken at fixed intervals post-transplantation.

In the case of proteinuria and haematuria these may include urography or morphological studies of urinary red cells, together with renal biopsy.