Indications for a Kidney Biopsy

Why Am I Getting a Kidney Biopsy?

Introduction

There are a number of reasons why you might need a kidney biopsy, but the bottom line is that your kidney doctor has a question about your kidneys that can't be answered by standard diagnostic tests.

Most Common Indications

The three main reasons or indications for a kidney biopsy are:

• Workup of Kidney Disease: Your doctor may be concerned about and want to know why you have:
  • Blood in your urine
  • Protein in your urine
  • Kidney failure
• Monitoring of Kidney Disease: Your doctor may want to know if your kidney disease has gotten worse (despite treatment) since your last biopsy. You may end up needing a more aggressive treatment.
• Assessing for Kidney Rejection: Your doctor may suspect that your kidney transplant is rejecting and wants to confirm it before exposing you to dangerous immunosuppressive drugs.