What Kinds of Kidney Diseases Need Renal Biopsy

Renal biopsy is an important test for the diagnosis of Kidney Disease, in which, the doctor needs to take a sample of kidney tissue from the injury kidneys and then inspect it under microscopy. Although it is more accurate test method than others, it can cause much damage to their kidneys. Therefore, generally the patients do not suggest do renal biopsy except they have to do it. However, if the patients with Kidney Diseases have the following conditions, they should do renal biopsy.

1. Acute Nephritis: If the patients are diagnosed with Acute Nephritis, but their disease conditions do not have any improvement after 2~3 months’ treatment. In this case, their diseases are very likely to have developed into Rapid-Progressed Nephritis so they should have a renal biopsy to get a definite diagnosis.

2. Simple Nephrotic Syndrome: If the patients with Simple Nephrotic Syndrome use hormone therapy as long as 8 weeks, but do not have any improvement.

3. Nephrotic Syndrome related to Nephritis: The patients should do renal biopsy firstly and then receive relative treatment according to specific pathological category.

4. Isolated hematuria: If the patients have urine protein above 1g/24 hours or blood pressure and Cr level increases or have isolated hematuria as long as half an year, the patients should take renal biopsy to make a clear diagnosis of the disease.

5. Isolated proteinuria: If the patients have persistent proteinuria above 1g/dl and do not have a definite , they should have renal biopsy.

6. Secondary or genetic Kidney Disease: Clinically, the patients are suspected to have secondary or genetic diseases, but do not have a definite diagnosis. Or the patients have a definite diagnosis of their diseases, but the pathological materials of the diseases can help a lot in instructing their treatments.

7. Acute Renal Failure: If the clinical and lab tests results can not help diagnose the specific cause of the disease, they should take renal biopsy in time.

8. Transplanted kidney has pathological change: If the transplanted kidney function decreases seriously without clear cause, the patients should do renal biopsy at once. That is because in some cases, the primary diseases of native kidneys are very likely to reoccur.


Whether or not having renal biopsy depends what kinds of Kidney Diseases the patients get. The patients should follow their doctors’ guidance so as to choose proper exam methods. If you still have more want to know about test items, please consult us on line or email to kidney-treatment@hotmail.com .