CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PEDIATRIC RENAL BIOPSIES: FIRST REPORT IN SANTA CRUZ – BOLIVIA

Introduction:

Ultrasound-guided renal biopsy is essential for diagnosing pediatric glomerular diseases, providing critical histopathological data for accurate diagnosis and treatment. It's generally safe, with minor complications. Glomerular diseases are a leading cause of pediatric CKD, with MCD, FSGS, IgAN, and lupus nephritis being the most common findings.

Glomerular diseases in Bolivian children are understudied due to a lack of biopsy data and nephropathologists. This is the first report from eastern Bolivia.

Methods:

This retrospective descriptive study involved 15 kidney biopsies performed at the Pediatric Nephrology Service of the "Dr. Mario Ortiz Suarez Children's Hospital" (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) from January 2022 to July 2024. Clinical records of patients who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy were reviewed, focusing on age, sex, diagnosis, biopsy indication, and histopathological diagnosis. All samples were examined under light microscopy and immunofluorescence, as electron microscopy is unavailable in the country.

Results:

The study included 15 patients aged 2 to 13 years, 53% male and 47% female. Nine (60%) were diagnosed with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and showed steroid resistance. Four patients (26.6%) had systemic lupus erythematosus with renal involvement. Two patients had CKD with nephrotic-range proteinuria and a negative immunological profile at diagnosis Table 1. The most common histopathological patterns are shown in Graph 1.

Conclusions:

Glomerulopathies are the second leading cause of pediatric CKD. In our study, steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, primarily FSGS, was the most common finding. Lupus nephritis predominated among secondary glomerulopathies. No complications were reported, confirming the safety of ultrasound-guided renal biopsy. This is the first report from eastern Bolivia.

I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.

I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.