How to Look at a Renal Biopsy Specimen: Initial Study of the Kidney

In all specimens, the most important part of initial study is to determine the extent of tubular atrophy. The pathologist should assess glomerular size, whether glomeruli look normal, whether abnormalities are in every glomerulus, called diffuse, or only in some glomeruli, called focal, and whether abnormalities are throughout a glomerulus, called global, or only in part of a glomerulus, called segmental.