2015年11月11日星期三

Is Renal Biopsy a Must in Diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis

Renal biopsy is an important pathological exam in kidney disease and it can tell the severity of kidney damage and specific pathological types. Therefore, it has important reference value in declining the treatments. However, as it can lead to some risks and damages to patients. Therefore, the patients with Lupus Nephritis should look before leap.

Functions of renal biopsy in diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis

1. Renal biopsy can tell whether you get Lupus Nephritis

Renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) includes not only the various classes of Lupus Nephritis, but also non-kidney disease that may affect persons of similar age and gender like IgA Nephropathy, Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and so on. These kidney diseases may manifest the similar clinical symptoms of Lupus Nephritis. Therefore, renal biopsy is of great importance when considering these diagnoses.

2. Renal biopsy can tell you the pathological type

The clinical symptoms of Lupus Nephritis are related to its pathological classes. However, in some cases, the different pathological classes of Lupus Nephritis may have overlaps in their symptoms. Moreover, not all active lupus renal damages have clinical symptoms and abnormal lab manifestations as well as symptoms of lupus outside kidneys. In some cases of Lupus Nephritis, the patients have active renal damage, but lack clinical symptoms outside kidneys and serologic abnormality. Therefore, if clinical symptoms are not enough to diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis pathological classes, the patients should take renal biopsy so as to receive proper treatment in time.

Although renal biopsy is important for the diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis, it brings certain risk to the patients. Bleeding is a common complication of renal biopsy due to concurrent corticosteroid use or platelet dysfunction. In serious cases, the major complications of renal biopsy even require blood transfusion or invasive intervention.


In conclusion, renal biopsy is important to the patients to get an early accurate diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis and receive an effective treatment in time. However, they also should neglect the adverse side effects of renal biopsy. If there is difficulty in the diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis, the patients should undergo renal biopsy under their doctors’ guidance.

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