title: The role of percutaneous renal biopsy in the diagnosis and management of renal diseases in children.
abstract: We undertook a retrospective study to determine the proportion of patients in whom diagnostic and therapeutic changes were made as a result of renal biopsy. From April 1992 to March 1997, 111 renal biopsies were performed on 109 children aged 11 months to 18 years at our hospital. Adequate renal tissue was obtained in 106 cases (95.3%). Gross hematuria was observed in 12 cases (10.8%). Perirenal hematoma was found in 8 cases (7.2%) by ultrasound. A scoring system was designed to assess if diagnosis and therapy are affected as a result of renal biopsy. For diagnosis, the score was 0 when no additional information was obtained; 1 when the diagnosis was confirmed or ruled out; and 2 when the diagnosis was changed after biopsy or the pathologic findings provided a definite prognosis. For therapy, the score was 0 when the management was not changed after biopsy; 1 when the clinical diagnosis was confirmed and yielded a change in management; and 2 when the diagnosis and management were changed after biopsy. We found the benefit score for diagnosis was 0 in 2 (1.9%) of the 106 biopsied cases; 1 in 78 (73.6%), and 2 in 26 (24.5%). The benefit score for therapy was 0 in 62 (58.5%); 1 in 24 (22.6%); and 2 in 20 (18.9%). Therapeutic change always occurred in the biopsied patients with steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome and systemic diseases with renal involvement, and occasionally occurred in frequent relapsing nephrotic syndrome, steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome and asymptomatic proteinuria plus hematuria. It never occurred in patients with acute or chronic renal failure and hematuria. We conclude that renal biopsy is a safe and efficient procedure in pediatric patients. It can markedly change diagnosis and therapy, and can increase the likelihood for a more rational management of children with renal disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006417:Hematuria / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies