Kidney Biopsy: Results
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Results
A kidney biopsy is done by inserting a long needle through the back (flank) to remove a sample of kidney tissue. This is called a percutaneous kidney biopsy.
- Samples of kidney tissue are sent to a pathology lab, where they will be looked at under a microscope for kidney diseases, such as kidney cancer.
- Other samples of kidney tissue may be sent to a microbiology lab to see whether an infection is present.
Biopsy results are ready in 2 to 4 days. If tests are done to find infections, it may take several weeks for the results to be ready.
| Normal: | The structure and cells of the kidney look normal. There are no signs of inflammation, scar tissue, infection, or cancer. |
|---|---|
| Abnormal: | The sample may show signs of scarring due to infection, poor blood flow, glomerulonephritis, a kidney infection (pyelonephritis), or signs of other diseases that affect the body, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. |
Kidney tissue may show tumors that were not expected, such as Wilms' tumor (which occurs in early childhood) and renal cell cancer (which is most common after age 40). |
| Last updated: | September 29, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Monica Rhodes |
| Reviewed By: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Tushar J. Vachharajani, MD, FASN, FACP - Nephrology |
| Editors: | Maria Essig, Tracy Landauer |
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