Percutaneous image-guided biopsy of renal masses is safe and accurate, and it frequently alters clinical decision making, says a new study from the University of Michigan.
For the study, the researchers reviewed 153 kidney biopsies in 126 patients. The researchers found that more than 60% of patients had a change in their treatment--whether surgery, tumor ablation, chemotherapy or radiation--due to biopsy results, and that as many as 75 unnecessary kidney removals were potentially avoided.
"When a patient has a kidney mass, options include an open surgical procedure or an image-guided percutaneous biopsy. Percutaneous means that the procedure is performed through the skin, through a tiny incision (only 3-4 mm). Imaging guidance (either ultrasound or CT) allows us to watch our needle as it enters the mass, decreasing the risk of damage to adjacent structures and ensuring that we are sampling the correct tissue," said Katherine Maturen, MD, lead author of the study.
According to the researchers, these procedures are performed under conscious sedation with local anesthesia to numb the skin where the needle will enter. The procedure takes about half an hour in most cases, and after a four-hour observation period, patients are free to go home.