Safety and diagnostic accuracy of image guided biopsies in patients with small renal masses

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of a percutaneous image-guided renal biopsy for detecting renal malignancy in individuals with small (< 4 cm), solid and enhancing renal masses. To determine the rate of complications of the biopsy procedure such as post-procedural bleeding, infection (local or systemic), arteriovenous fistula formation, renal loss or seeding To establish the accuracy of biopsy procedure to determine cancer grade To establish the accuracy of biopsy procedure to determine pathological type of renal cell carcinoma (e.g. papillary, clear cell carcinoma)