Kidney Biopsy in Children

Renal biopsy is a procedure whereby a special needle is passed through the skin near the loin area at the back to obtain tiny pieces of kidney tissue for specialised studies. 

The needle can be visualised as it is passed into the body to the kidney (usually the lower end of the left kidney) using an ultrasound machine. Its passage is fully guided by real-time imagines reflected on the screen. It is thus a safe procedure and complications are very rare. 

The renal tissues obtained from the biopsy are examined under microscope including sometimes electron microscope which is a very powerful microscope that can reveal the ultra-structures of the kidney. Special staining of the tissues is also done to further study any abnormalities. All these specialised examinations or what we term “histopathology” will help us to pinpoint and diagnose accurately the various underlying kidney diseases so that we can accurately formulate treatment plan. 

There are clear indications for doing a renal biopsy. It is generally done to diagnose accurately kidney diseases that can progress to kidney damage where aggressive treatment is necessary. The doctor will need to discuss in detail the indications for renal biopsy.