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Renal biopsy in the very elderly.
Dimitrios-Anestis Moutzouris1, Leal Herlitz, Gerald B Appel
1Department of Nephrology, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Summary
Renal biopsy in patients aged 80 and older is valuable for diagnosing kidney disease. Advanced age should not prevent this procedure, as it can guide treatment effectively.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Pathology
Background:
- Limited data exists on renal biopsy outcomes in the very elderly (>= 80 years).
- Understanding kidney disease causes in this population is crucial for appropriate management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the etiologies and clinical presentations of renal diseases in very elderly patients undergoing native renal biopsy.
- To compare findings in very elderly patients with a younger control group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 235 native renal biopsies from patients aged >= 80 years over 3.67 years.
- Comparison with a control group of 264 patients aged 60-61 years biopsied during the same period.
Main Results:
- Common indications included acute kidney injury (AKI) and nephrotic syndrome (NS).
- Pauci-immune glomerulonephritis (GN) was the most frequent diagnosis (19%).
- Very elderly patients showed a higher prevalence of pauci-immune GN and lower rates of diabetic glomerulosclerosis and membranous nephropathy compared to controls. Diagnostic information impacted treatment in 67% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Renal biopsy is a valuable diagnostic tool in very elderly patients.
- The potential benefits of renal biopsy in this age group are significant.
- Advanced age alone should not be a contraindication for renal biopsy.
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