Renal biopsy in children presenting with renal disorders in a tertiary health facility in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The practice of carrying out renal biopsies in children continues to evolve across the nation. However, the success rate has varied depending on the skills (trainee vs paediatric nephrologist), and the biopsy device among others. Thus, we aim to determine the success rate of renal biopsy in children presenting with renal disorders in University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital(UITH).

Materials and Methods: An audit of all renal biopsies done from January 2010 to December 2023 in children seen at UITH Nigeria was carried out.   The audit covered the number of renal biopsies done, number of glomeruli harvested in each biopsy, the range and mean glomeruli obtained, indication for the biopsy, equipment used, and problems encountered. A biopsy was considered successful if a renal tissue specimen obtained at laboratory analysis was ≥ 5 glomeruli.

Results: A total of 66 children were biopsied comprising of 35 males and 31 females. The age range of the subjects was 2-18years with mean (SD) of 7.8±3.8 years. The range of glomeruli obtained was 1-56 with a mean of 12.7±11.3. There was no yield of renal tissue containing glomerulus in 15(22.7%) children while the remaining 51(77.3%) children had at least one glomerulus on histology. Based on the presence of ≥5 glomeruli, the procedure was successful in 42(63.6%) children.

Conclusion: A success rate of 63.6% over thirteen years was recorded in our study.  However, 77.3% of our patients had at least one glomerulus on the histology.