ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULA AFTER RENAL BIOPSY IN CHILDREN

Our objective was to assess the prevalence and history of arteriovenou s fistula after renal biopsy in pediatric patients by the use of color Doppler sonography. Fifty patients, aged 6 days to 18.5 years, underw ent sonographically guided renal biopsy. Color Doppler sonography was performed prior to, during, and after the procedure. Postbiopsy hemato ma was detected in 46 patients (92%), of whom 10 suffered clinically s ignificant bleeds. Six patients (age range, 8 to 18.5 years) developed postbiopsy arteriovenous fistula. In three cases the arteriovenous fi stula diminished spontaneously, one persisted without symptoms, and tw o symptomatic arteriovenous fistulas needed coil implantation. Color D oppler sonography demonstrated all arteriovenous fistulas 4 hours afte r the procedure and duplex Doppler sonography demonstrated the flow di sturbances in the feeding and draining vessels. We conclude that color Doppler sonography allows noninvasive detection and follow-up study o f postbiopsy arteriovenous fistula, thus helping to define management after interventional procedures.