Retrospective Analysis of Ultrasound-Detected Bleeding Complications after Ultrasound-Guided Transcutaneous Kidney Biopsies

The aim of this retrospective single-center study was to examine ultrasound-detected complications after diagnostic parenchymal renal biopsies. After 471 ultrasound-guided kidney biopsies (225 native kidneys and 246 renal allografts), ultrasound revealed hematomas (21.9%), arterio-venous fistulas (8.9%), active bleeding (1.1%) and hematuria (0.4%). Only 0.8% of all patients required invasive intervention such as coiling (n = 3) and surgical procedures (n = 1). Three episodes of bleeding (0.6%) were solved with manual compression. One patient (0.2%) needed an irrigation catheter because of hematuria. Furthermore, six patients (1.3%) received blood transfusion. Ultrasound-guided biopsies are safe. With modern ultrasound machines using multi-frequency transducers with high resolution and harmonic imaging, even marginal bleeding after renal biopsy is detected.