Twenty-six pregnant women complicated with acute renal failure (ARF) were admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital during Jan. 1972 to Dec. 1990, the incidence rate was 0.045%. Among them, 4 cases of ARF were due to non-specific factors to pregnancy (15.4%) and 22 cases (84.6%) were due to factors correlated with pregnancy. Severe pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) was the main cause of ARF in late pregnancy accounting for 86.4% (19 cases). In this series, 7 cases with eclampsia and 12 cases with preeclampsia, the incidence rate of ARF in preeclampsia and eclampsia was 0.91% and 11.3% respectively. The average age was 28.3 yr. 9 out of 19 cases were parous women. During pregnancy and labour, patients had more than one complications. 4 cases each were complicated with abruptio placentae, postpartum hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage and serious puerperal infection respectively. 3 cases were complicated with HELLP syndrome and one each with acute fatty liver, hypertension or gentamycin nephrotoxicity. 10 cases had deliveries preceded admission. The cesarean rate was 52.6% (10 cases). ARF onset before labour in 9 cases and postpartum in 10 cases. Developed only in 1 case of postpartum ARF in our department, this patient had a twin gestation, also complicated with severe PIH and acute fatty liver. Auria and oliguria ARF were found in 18 cases, nonauria in only 1 case. In this study, the highest serum BUN was 7.5-39.3 mmol/L (21-110 mg/dl). Medical management and rectal dialysis or peritoneal dialysis were performed in 10 cases who were in early stage, mild ARF or those ARF occurred before admission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)