Kidney Biopsy and Kidney Diseases
Kidney Biopsy and Kidney Diseases
A kidney biopsy, also known as renal biopsy is a procedure wherein a small section of kidney tissue is removed with the help of a needle, to examine under the microscope. The test helps to identify the cause, and possible treatment of the kidney disease.
This procedure is done under sonographic guidance and under local anaesthesia. Relatively it is a safe procedure and can also be done on day care basis.
This procedure is indicated in SLE patients and patients with proteinuria (protein in urine) and hematuria (blood in urine).
When your kidneys lose this filtering ability, harmful levels of fluid and waste accumulate in your body, which can raise your blood pressure and result in kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease). End-stage renal disease occurs when the kidneys have lost about 90% of their ability to function normally.
Common causes of end-stage kidney disease include:
Acute renal failure or acute kidney injury develops rapidly over a few hours or days; when kidney function worsens and waste products of body’s metabolism accumulate. It may be fatal. It’s most common in those who are critically ill and already hospitalised.
Symptoms include decreased urinary output, swelling due to fluid retention, nausea, fatigue and shortness of breath. Sometimes symptoms may be subtle or may not appear at all.
In majority of cases, it is reversible if the underlying cause is addressed, however many times it also needs dialysis.
Patients with acute kidney injury are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease in the future. They are also at higher risk of end-stage renal disease and premature death. Patients who have an episode of acute kidney injury should be monitored for the development or worsening of chronic kidney disease.
The kidneys filter waste and excess fluid from the blood. As kidneys fail, waste builds up in body. The process of kidney failure in chronic kidney disease is slow over a period of three months or more.
Risk factors for CKD include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Family history of kidney disease
In majority of cases, it is reversible if the underlying cause is addressed, however many times it also needs dialysis.
Patients with acute kidney injury are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease in the future. They are also at higher risk of end-stage renal disease and premature death. Patients who have an episode of acute kidney injury should be monitored for the development or worsening of chronic kidney disease.
Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a term used to refer to several kidney diseases (usually affecting both kidneys). Many of the diseases are characterised by inflammation either of the glomeruli or of the small blood vessels in the kidneys, hence the name,[1] but not all diseases necessarily have an inflammatory component.