A kidney Reference biopsy Opens New Window is usually done using a long thin needle put through the back (flank) into the kidney. This is called a percutaneous kidney biopsy. A tissue sample is taken and sent to a lab. It is looked at under a microscope. The sample can help your doctor see how healthy your kidney is and look for any problems.
The two Reference kidneys Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window are found on either side of the spine, in the lower back. They help the body balance water, salts, and minerals in the blood. The kidneys also filter waste products from the blood and make urine.
A kidney biopsy may be done to check for kidney problems. It may also be done after other tests for kidney disease, such as blood and urine tests, Reference ultrasound Opens New Window, or a Reference computed tomography (CT) scan Opens New Window, show a kidney problem.
|By:||Reference Healthwise Staff||Last Revised: Reference September 25, 2012|
|Medical Review:||Reference E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Reference Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology, Oncology