Abstract: TH-PO1064
Native and Allograft Kidney Biopsies Performed by Nephrology vs. Interventional Radiology: A 10-Year, Single-Center, Retrospective Study
Session Information
- Pathology and Lab Medicine
October 22, 2026 | Location: Exhibit Hall A, Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Pathology and Lab Medicine
- 1700 Pathology and Lab Medicine
Authors
- Patel, Pooja V., Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Nizami, Tarek, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Farrar, Riley, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Sinha, Anika, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- El-Bizri, Raina, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Omara, AnnMarie, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Raker, Christina A., Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Shah, Ankur, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
- Merhi, Basma Omar, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Background
Percutaneous kidney biopsy remains essential for the diagnosis and management of kidney disease. As interventional radiology (IR) increasingly performs kidney biopsies, differences in patient selection, procedural practices, and complication rates compared with nephrology-performed biopsies remain poorly understood.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed adult patients who underwent native and allograft kidney biopsy at Rhode Island Hospital from 2015–2025. We compared patient characteristics, procedural practices, diagnostic yield, and complication rates between nephrology- and IR-performed biopsies using logistic or quantile regression with robust standard errors to account for within-patient correlation.
Results
A total of 1,416 biopsies from 1,176 patients were performed by nephrology (n=975, 68.8%) or IR (n=441, 31.2%). Patients undergoing IR-Computed Tomography (CT) biopsy were older (median age 66 vs. 55 years for nephrology vs. 56 years for IR-ultrasound (US), p<0.001) and more likely to have BMI ≥30 (53.4% vs. 35.9% vs. 34.6%, respectively; p=0.02).
Nephrology-performed biopsies more commonly utilized 3 passes, whereas IR-guided biopsies required ≥4 passes (p<0.001). Median glomerular yield differed between groups (14 nephrology vs. 16 IR-US vs.12 IR-CT; p=0.03).
Post-biopsy hematuria occurred more frequently following IR-guided biopsies (15.8% IR-US and 17.5% IR-CT vs. 9.4% nephrology, p=0.004). Perinephric hematoma rates were highest following IR-CT biopsies (10.8% vs. 5.9% IR-US vs. 4.8% nephrology, p=0.04). Blood transfusion was required after 6.4% of nephrology biopsies, 12.2% of IR-US biopsies, and 6.8% of IR-CT biopsies (p=0.004).
Conclusion
Kidney biopsies performed by nephrology and interventional radiology demonstrated high diagnostic adequacy with distinct patient selection and complication profiles. IR-guided biopsies were more commonly performed in older, obese patients, supporting complementary procedural roles in contemporary kidney biopsy practice.