Technic and complications of percutaneous renal biopsy

A detailed technique to carry out percutaneous renal biopsy is described, together with the complications found in 1,463 procedures. A total of 350 complications (24%) were found, but gross hematuria stood out as the most frequent. In most cases, hematuria was mild and disappeared spontaneously; only 3 patients required transfusion. Following biopsy, 57 cases showed arterial hypertension. One case developed perirenal abscess which was drained surgically. The most important complication was the development of renal pyogenic abscess in a case which ended up in nephrectomy. It is concluded that renal biopsy should be performed only in those cases where the benefit attained by the information surpasses the potential risk. Renal biopsy does not consist only in the taking of a specimen, but also in its adequate study by a specialist with knowledge in renal pathology.