Clinical scenarios when a kidney biopsy is not necessary
What are some clinical scenarios when a kidney biopsy may not be necessary?
• Acute kidney injury in which a clinical diagnosis of pre-renal disease, acute tubular necrosis, or obstruction is evident
• Isolated glomerular hematuria without evidence of kidney dysfunction or proteinuria
• Isolated non-nephrotic proteinuria with the absence of kidney insufficiency or glomerular hematuria
• Patients with an insidious onset of proteinuria with a known diagnosis of long-standing diabetes mellitus (with slow progression of kidney disease) or massive obesity with presumed secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
• Patients with chronic kidney disease with small, hyperechoic kidneys. These patients are at higher risk of biopsy complications and are unlikely to have reversible disease.
