Histopathology of renal disease

Diagnosis and clinical management of renal disease is often largely through biochemistry of blood and urine. However, sometimes clinical need, such as the rapid deterioration in acute renal failure, requires a biopsy in order to:

What sharp implements may be used to take a renal biopsy?

How is the patient anaesthetised and the appropriate spot on the kidney found when taking a renal biopsy?

Before any staining of renal tissue taken can occur, what must be done/looked for?

Dividing the biopsy should be done within minutes of removal to avoid artefactual structural changes. How many samples is the original biopsy usually divided into?

What injury is a common consequence of renal biopsy acquisition?

What is a concern when transferring the renal tissue from the patient to the assistant (for cortex confirmation) by the doctor?

For light microscopy examination of renal tissue, what does haematoxylin and eosin staining show?

What does staining renal biopsy tissue with methenamine silver distinguish?

What is the Periodic Acid Schiff stain useful for distinguishing in a renal tissue biopsy?

What might be the result of preparing too thick a section of glomeruli?

What is Congo Red useful for staining in renal tissue biopsies?

What is an elastin stain useful for showing in renal biopsy tissue?

What were trichrome stains used to see in renal biopsy tissue that is now detected using immunohistochemical techniques?

Does red staining with a Congo Red stain confirm the presence of amyloid?

What proportion of UK labs perform electron microscopy techniques on all renal biopsy samples?

What are the benefits of performing electron microscopy as well as other histopathological techniques?

Immunohistochemistry uses antibodies to detect structures, usually immune structures. What might this include?

Once the antibodies have been applied to the renal tissue, detection of complexes is usually by immunofluorescence or immunoperoxidase. What must be removed from the sample in order for the immuno tests to be completed?

A structural change in the glomerular basement membrane or excessive matrix deposition is probably indicative of...

Glomerular damage due to proliferation of endothelial or mesangial cells is probably indicative of...

Damage to the glomerular basement membrane AND cell proliferation, is probably indicative of...

If damage to the glomeruli is rapid, features of ? will develop?