Paediatric Renal Biopsies in East Bohemia. Single Centre Experience in the Years 1997–2008

Abstract

This report analyses data on 177 renal biopsies (RB) performed in 174 children in the East Bohemian region throughout 1997–2008. The primary aim was to evaluate the diagnostic benefit of the procedure, the secondary aim was to assess the safety of RB and prevalence of clinical complications. The patients’ mean age at the time of RB was 12.77 ± 4.17 years; range 1 to 19 years; male to female ratio 1.17:1. Haematuria was the most common indication for RB. All RBs were performed by a single consultant nephrologist. 27 biopsies in 27 patients (15.3 %) in 1997 were performed under X-ray control, the remaining 150 RB (84.7 %) under ultrasound guidance. The mean annual number of RBs performed in 1997–2001 was significantly higher than in the 2003–2008 period (21.6±5.5 versus 9.9±1.2; p=0.0003). All samples were diagnostic. The mean number of glomeruli was 23.5±11.4 (range 4–55) per sample. The RB resulted in information yielding a definite diagnosis and/or prognosis in 173 children (99.4 %). The most frequent diagnoses were IgA nephropathy (n=41; 23.5 %), mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (n=31; 17.8 %) and thin basement membrane glomerulopathy (n=22; 12.6 %). No major complications were encountered and only minor complications occurred in 43 cases (24.2 %), not requiring medical intervention. In conclusion, the present practice of RB in children is safe, with high clinical benefit.

Keywords

• Nephropathy
• Renal biopsy