Renal biopsy findings during and after pregnancy.

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease is estimated to affect up to 6% of women of reproductive age. Maternity care represents an opportunity for early diagnosis but there is limited understanding of chronic kidney disease aetiology occurring in or revealed by pregnancy. A retrospective evaluation of renal biopsies during and after pregnancy between 2000 and 2015 was undertaken. A large academic health centre pathology database was searched for free text pregnancy-related terms, restricted to typology code 71000 (kidney). Indications and findings of postpartum renal biopsies were reviewed. Sixty-three renal biopsy reports were identified. Of 45 biopsies performed postpartum, 34 (75.6%) investigated persistent postpartum proteinuria. 20/34 (70.6%) of these biopsies yielded a primary renal disease, and 6/34 (17.6%) women had progressed to end stage renal disease at latest follow-up. Renal biopsy findings of women investigated for persistent postpartum proteinuria revealed a high incidence of histological diagnosis of de novo renal disease.