RENAL BIOPSY IN CATTLE - A DIAGNOSTIC-AID

In a study on healthy cows (n = 34, mean age 5.4 years), practicabilit y of ultrasound-guided renal biopsy was investigated. The diagnostic v alue of this method was then evaluated in bovine patients potentially suffering from renal diseases (n = 25, mean age 6.1 years), The follow ing results were obtained: 1. Ultrasound-guided renal biopsy can be pe rformed in cattle without clinical risk. To obtain representable speci men, 1.4 attempts were necessary in the right, and 1.9 attempts in the left kidney (mean values), 2. Diffuse renal changes (amyloidosis, tub ulonephrosis, glomerulonephritis) could always be diagnosed intra vita m, Pyelonephritis could be detected in all cases by diagnosis of purul ent interstitial nephritis with the latter occuring concomitantly and hence being an indirect indicator of pyelonephritis. 3. Diagnosis of f ocal changes of renal tissue (e. g. metastatic prulent herd nephritis) was, however, only possible in approximately 60 per cent of the cases and is thus unsatisfying.