MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Renal biopsy

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Renal biopsy

In renal biopsy, a small sample of kidney tissue is removed with a needle. The test is sometimes used to evaluate a transplanted kidney. It is also used to evaluate an unexplained decrease in kidney function, persistent blood in the urine, or protein in the urine.

Update Date: 10/22/2007

Updated by: Robert Mushnick, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Nephrology, SUNY Downstate Health Center, Brooklyn, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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