Percutaneous Renal Biopsy

Abstract

Percutaneous renal biopsy is now well established as a valuable adjunct to the investigation of patients with diverse forms of renal disease. Many reports have appeared during the past decade which attest to its usefulness and relative safety. Nevertheless, an excellent review of the literature by Brun¹ in 1958 emphasized that further experience was necessary before final appraisal of the procedure could be accomplished. Our own biopsy experience has differed somewhat from that of others. Many of our biopsy specimens were obtained from young adults with minimal clinical and laboratory evidence of renal disease. We feel that additional histologic observations in this type of patient are needed in order to establish a firm architectural foundation for future studies of the etiology, pathogenesis, and natural history of renal disease. For these reasons we have decided to record the results of 150 consecutive percutaneous renal biopsies carried out upon 135 patients