[Echo-guided biopsy in renal transplant]

A prospective study of 64 biopsies was undertaken to determine the efficacy of ultrasound-guided biopsy of renal grafts. All the biopsies were performed using real-time ultrasound guidance and a Tru-Cut biopsy needle. Sixty-two (97%) of the biopsies were diagnostic; a total of 85 punctions (mean 1.3) were performed. Forty-seven (73.4%) biopsies contained cortical issue, 15 (23.4%) cortical and medullary, and 2 (3.2%) medullary tissue alone. Mild hematuria was observed in 8 (12%) and there were no major complications. Four of the 8 cases (50%) with hematuria required dialysis, while the remaining 4 (50%) did not (p > 0.05). Concerning the type of tissue obtained and the complications, 5 (62.5%) of the patients whose biopsies contained medullary tissue presented complication (p < 0.05) ascribable to the depth of the punction. The mean number of biopsy punctions with hematuria was 1.5 (p < 0.05). In our view, ultrasound-guided biopsy is a highly effective technique for obtaining valid biopsy specimens of the renal graft, which reduces the risk of complications in this percutaneous procedure.