Percutaneous US-guided Renal Biopsy: A Retrospective Study Comparing the 16-gauge End-cut and 14-gauge Side-notch Needles
Received 11 August 2008; received in revised form 18 October 2009; accepted 8 November 2009. published online 03 February 2010.
Purpose
Assess glomerular yield and safety profile of two different types of needles for percutaneous ultrasound-guided kidney biopsy.
Materials and Methods
Over 24 months, 121 ultrasonographic ultrasound-guided renal biopsies were performed on native kidneys of 121 adults: 66 with 16-gauge, 29-mm end-cut (BioPince) needles and 55 with 14-gauge, 1.9-mm side-notch (Tru-Cut) needles.
Results
The mean number of complete glomeruli harvested per biopsy was 21.0 and 19.3, respectively, and the mean number of core samples required to obtain a satisfactory biopsy was 1.8 and 2.6, respectively. The ratio of glomeruli harvested to core samples needed with the end-cut needle was 58% greater than that with the side-notch needles (11.7 vs 7.4, respectively; difference of 4.3; 95% confidence interval: 2.0, 6.8). Procedures performed with end-cut needles were associated with fewer major complications (1.5% vs 7.3% with side-notch needles).
Conclusions
Compared to the 14-g Tru-cut needle, the 16-g end-cut needle provided better glomerular yield per core sample, required fewer cores for satisfactory tissue specimen, and resulted in fewer major complications.
ABSTRACT