Renal Pathology
The Division of Pathology at Cincinnati Children’s offers specialized nephropathology diagnostic services to the Cincinnati community, in pediatric and adult patients, focusing on primary renal diseases and transplant pathology. Our nephropathologists have years of expertise in providing renal biopsy interpretations. We provide exceptional technical and professional expertise on-site, with a rapid turn-around time.
We also welcome specimens obtained at other hospital / surgical facilities to provide diagnostic service, as well as provide consultation or second opinion. We routinely process approximately 400 number of transplant cases, annually, and over 600 renal cases, annually.
Our on-site, state-of-the-art facility is equipped with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), which enables us to perform ultrastructural analysis that is considered to be best practice in kidney disease diagnosis, all accompanied by a fully staffed EM lab and a quick turn-around time.
Services Offered
All renal transplant biopsies are evaluated routinely for both, humoral and cellular rejection. The standard of care for renal biopsies include light microscopy and interpretation.
Routine Stains
- H&E
- PAS
- Masson’s Trichrome
- Jones Silver
Immunofluorescent Stains
- IgG immunoglobulin
- IgA
- IgM
- C3 complement fragment
- C1q complement fragment
- Fibrinogen
- C4d
Occasionally, specimen processing may warrant additional marker testing for prognosis / diagnosis beyond specimens listed above.
Containers/Specimen collection shipment needed:
Renal biopsy evaluation requires an adequate core in formalin or paraffin block along with a piece snap frozen for immunofluorescence and a fragment in glutaraldehyde for electron microscopy. Alternatively, paraffin tissue with a CD containing images of immunofluorescence and EM can be provided for consultation.
Studies Offered
Native kidney biopsies
The following studies are recommended for the routine evaluation of an adequate renal biopsy specimen: light microscopy (LM), Immunofluorescence microscopy (IF), and Electron Microscopy (EM)
Allograft kidney biopsies
The following studies are recommended for the routine evaluation of an adequate allograft kidney biopsy specimen: light microscopy (LM) and Immunofluorescence microscopy (IF). Note: Electron microscopy is not usually required for evaluation of renal insufficiency in the allograft biopsy, but it is recommended if the patient has hematuria and / or proteinuria, or other evidence of glomerular disease.
Additional Studies
We offer many immunohistochemical and in-situ hybridization studies needed to identify infectious, infiltrative and hereditary diseases of the kidney.
