title: The importance of sample size in the interpretation of the renal biopsy.
abstract: The number of abnormal glomeruli present in a renal biopsy can be viewed as a binomial distribution. Recognition of this fact permits a quantitative assessment of the effect of biopsy sample size in renal biopsy interpretation. If the percent of glomerular involvement in a biopsy is used to determine the severity of a focal glomerular lesion, a small biopsy sample size will lead to considerable misclassification of disease severity. In addition, a small biopsy sample size will make the exclusion of focal disease difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Ill.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Corwin
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology