Despite the fact that renal infarction has been thoroughly studied experimentally1and described in detail from the pathologic and clinical points of view,2it has rarely been diagnosed correctly during life. This is because in the majority of cases there are no symptoms. When clinical symptoms and signs do appear, they are alarming and produce difficulties in differential diagnosis which may result in the performance of unnecessary surgical procedures. We have recently observed an unusual case of renal infarction with hemoglobinuria and uremia. This has stimulated us to review a group of autopsy records. STATISTICAL STUDY Review of the protocols of 14,411 autopsies performed at the Los Angeles County Hospital during the past nine years revealed that renal infarcts were present in 205 patients, an incidence of 1.4 per cent. The tiny pitted scars characteristic of renal arteriosclerosis were not included as infarcts. The presence of renal infarcts