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Kidney biopsies are important because they can help your doctor learn what is causing your nephrotic syndrome and how severe it is. This will help them form your treatment plan. Additional biopsies may be done later on to see how your treatment is working.
Why Biopsy?
For Adults
Kidney doctors are more likely to recommend a biopsy for adult patients when they are first diagnosed.
The results of the biopsy will help determine what is causing a patient’s Nephrotic Syndrome and can help guide treatment.
For Children
Nephrologists will usually recommend a child have a biopsy if:
- They have certain clinical findings when they are first diagnosed (such as a family history of Nephrotic Syndrome).
- They do not respond to their very first course of prednisone (“steroid resistant”).
- They initially responded to steroids, but have gradually become less responsive, have frequent relapses, or cannot be weaned off of steroids (“steroid dependent”).
- They have unusual findings such as abnormal kidney function.
The Biopsy Procedure
Biopsies are typically performed by a nephrologist or interventional radiologist.
Biopsies are often done after light sedation or local anesthesia.
A small piece of tissue from one kidney is taken by a specialized needle for examination under a microscope by a kidney pathologist.
After a biopsy, limited activity or bed rest will be recommended for a period of time.
