Clinical complications in renal biopsy using two different needle gauges: The impact of large hematomas, a random clinical trial study.

Objective: To compare complications of ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy using two needle gauges (16-G and 18-G).

Methods: A total of 238 individuals with renal biopsy indication were included and randomly separated into two groups: ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy procedure carried out with a 16-G or 18-G needle. The adequacy of biopsy samples and post-procedure complications were compared between the two groups.

Results: The procedures carried out with a 16-G needle collected fragments with a mean of 22.1 ± 10.8 glomeruli, and those carried out with an 18-G needle had a mean of 17.5 ± 9.4 glomeruli. Patients submitted to renal biopsies with a 16-G needle had a higher likelihood of having a complication (OR5.1, 95% CI 1.7-15.4, P = 0.001). The overall mean volume of post-biopsy hematoma in patients with complications was significantly larger than those without complications (44 ± 56.1 mL vs 5.9 ± 6.6 mL; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Renal biopsies carried out by ultrasonography using an 18-G needle provide adequate histological analysis, showing a lower amount of glomeruli but with similar clinical quality as a 16-G needle. Furthermore, it is associated with a lower risk of procedure-related complications.