Successful Diagnosis With Percutaneous Kidney Biopsies for Small Renal Masses

Renal mass biopsies can be conducted with accuracy in patients with small renal masses (<4 cm), according to an article published online ahead of print in The Journal of Urology.¹

Cross-sectional imaging has been the primary tool for the evaluation and diagnosis of renal masses, while renal biopsies have been reserved for the diagnosis of metastatic disease, infection, or lymphoma.²

Investigators evaluated 442 biopsies in small renal masses (<4 cm) between 2008 and 2015 to determine if renal cell carcinomas would be diagnosed accurately.

From an initial biopsy, 393 cases (88.9%) were diagnostic, and 76% of those cases were renal cell carcinomas; 24% were benign. Forty-nine cases (11.1%) were non-diagnostic, and after a second biopsy, 100% were diagnostic.

Renal mass biopsies were 97.1% accurate in identifying malignances, 95.1% accurate in histotyping, and 68.8% accurate in grading between the biopsy and surgical pathology.

Small renal mass biopsies can provide diagnostic information such as tissue histology and malignancy status. Non-diagnostic biopsies are more likely to occur in this patient population and a second a biopsy is a reasonable option.

References

1. Jeon HG, Seo SI, Chang Jeong B, et al[LB1] . Percutaneous kidney biopsy for a small renal mass: a critical appraisal of results. [published online ahead of print September 24, 2015]. J Urol. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2015.09.073.
2. Sahni VA, Silverman SG. Biopsy of renal masses: when and why. Cancer Imaging. 2009;9(1):44-55.