Percutaneous Renal Biopsies (PRBs) are essential for diagnosis and follow up of many renal pathologies including neopalsm and post-transplant subclinical rejection[i]-[ii]. Using a larger gauge biopsy needle has been shown to increased yield of glomeruli and arteries for pathologic analysis, however there is an associated increase in the risk of complications such as bleeding[iii]. Traditionally these biopsies have been performed with side notch needles. Full core needles may increase pathologic yield without increasing needle gauge, potentially without increasing complications compared to conventional side notch needles[iv]-[v]....

Retrospective review of 22 PRBs, 11 full core and 11 side notch, performed at our institution on native and transplant kidneys. All biopsies were performed with 16G needles. The length of the acquired sample is 20mm for the side notch needles which cannot be changed. In comparison, the full core needles can be modified to acquire a sample between 10mm and 25mm. All samples in this set were acquired at the default length which is 25mm. Needle type, number of passes, histologic outcomes, diagnosis and...

The full core biopsy sample lengths were longer than the side notch with an average length of 19.8mm compared to 15.7mm (26% higher), as expected given the full core needles are 25% longer. This resulted in an increased glomeruli yield average of 20.5 compared to 14.9 for side notch needles (38% higher). Though, adjusting for sample length, the yield is slightly higher for side notch needles (0.8 glomeruli per mm compared to 0.74). Artery yield was also higher for full core needles with an average...

This retrospective study demonstrated increased glomeruli and artery yields using full core biopsy needles with slightly longer sampling length compared to similar calibre side notch needles, with no difference in the complication rate. However, when adjusted to the obtained sample length, both needle models had similar results for glomeruli and artery yields. The rate of pathologically adequate and diagnostic samples was similar between the groups. This study is limited by the small sample size and retrospective methods, so further prospective investigation with a larger sample...

A. Zia: Nothing to disclose

[i] Furness PN, Philpott CM, Chorbadjian MT, Nicholson ML, Bosmans JL, Corthouts BL, Bogers JJ, Schwarz A, Gwinner W, Haller H, Mengel M, Seron D, Moreso F, Cañas C. Protocol biopsy of the stable renal transplant: a multicenter study of methods and complication rates. Transplantation. 2003 Sep 27;76(6):969-73. doi: 10.1097/01.TP.0000082542.99416.11. PMID: 14508363. [ii] Szederkényi E, Iványi B, Morvay Z, Szenohradszki P, Borda B, Marofka F, Kemény E, Lázár G. Treatment of subclinical injuries detected by protocol biopsy improves the long-term kidney allograft function: a single...