Percutaneous biopsy in diffuse renal disease: comparison of 18- and 14-gauge automated biopsy devices.

Purpose: To compare 18-gauge-needle automated biopsy guns to 14-gauge systems for diagnostic efficacy and safety in percutaneous renal biopsy.

Materials And Methods: One hundred sixty-one computed tomographic (CT) guided biopsies for diffuse renal disease were retrospectively reviewed. An automated biopsy gun with an 18-gauge needle was used in 74 procedures, and a 14-gauge needle was used in 87 cases.

Results: Adequate tissue for histologic diagnosis was obtained in 96% (71 of 74) of cases with use of the 18-gauge needle, compared with 99% (86 of 87) in the 14-gauge group. The mean glomeruli per specimen were 10.7 and 13.7, respectively. Major hemorrhagic complications occurred in two cases (2.7%) of the 18-gauge group and in three cases (3.4%) of the 14-gauge group.

Conclusion: The use of a biopsy gun with an 18-gauge needle provides high tissue recovery rate, comparable to that with the 14-gauge system. The complication rate was acceptably low, with no statistically significant difference from the 14-gauge needles (P = .80).