ANALYSIS OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING RENAL-TRANSPLANT NEEDLE CORE BIOPSY

Objective To determine factors associated with complications in patien ts undergoing renal transplant biopsy. Patients and methods A total of 210 consecutive renal transplant patients biopsied for acute graft dy sfunction or as part of a long term surveillance programme. Biopsies w ere performed under ultrasound control at two centres (Nottingham City and Leicester General Hospitals). Results Seventeen patients develope d macroscopic haematuria following biopsy (8%). There were no graft lo sses. In cases where at least one biopsy core contained only renal med ullary tissue, there was a significantly higher risk of a post-biopsy bleed (P<0.001). Conclusion This study demonstrates that even with car eful ultrasound guidance, renal transplant biopsy has an important com plication rate. Every effort must be made to obtain very superficial b iopsies which consist largely or exclusively of renal cortex,