A Color Flow Tract in Ultrasound-Guided Random Renal Core Biopsy Predicts Complications

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ultrasound (US)-guided renal core biopsy is a common diagnostic procedure.
• Identifying risk factors for complications is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient and procedural risk factors associated with major complications in US-guided random renal core biopsies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 231 US-guided renal biopsies (native and allografts) between 2014-2018.
• Analysis of patient demographics, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and procedural details.
• Statistical analysis using logistic regression to determine associations with complications.

Main Results:

• Major complications occurred in 4.3% of biopsies, significantly higher in native kidneys (6%) versus allografts (0%).
• Low eGFR (stage 4 or 5 kidney disease) was significantly associated with increased odds of major complications in native biopsies.
• A color flow tract increased the risk of any complication by 10.7 times.

Conclusions:

• US-guided random native kidney biopsy carries an increased risk of major complications in patients with low eGFR (<30 mL/min).
• A patent color flow tract is also a significant risk factor for complications in the immediate post-biopsy period.