In recent years histochemical methods using lectins with diverse carbohydrate binding specificities have proved useful tools for studying the distribution pattern of intracellular and pericellular glycoconjugates at the tissue level. Several studies of human kidneys have shown that the binding sites for certain lectins are strictly confined to various parts of the nephron. This allows the use of lectins as markers for the particular segments. The glomeruli exhibit abundant sialoglycoproteins at the free surface coat of the podocytes as detected by PNA after sialidase representing a major component of the filtration barrier; neoplastic podocytes of glomeruloid bodies in nephroblastomas as well revealed an intense lectin binding despite failing any vascularization. The lectin binding pattern of renal carcinomas varies within a wide range depending on their histological growth pattern. Whereas most renal carcinomas of clear and granular cell type rarely displayed a slight reactivity with lectins at the cell surface and at the luminal aspect of tubulopapillary tumors, a sub-group of carcinomas named chromophobe type exhibited a strong cytoplasmic staining with DBA and PNA after sialidase. Comparative evaluation of normal kidneys revealed an identical binding pattern exclusively in the intercalated cells of the collecting ducts probably indicating a histogenetic origin of these tumors from the collecting duct epithelium. This assumption derives further support from the detection of precursor lesions rarely detected in normal and tumor-bearing kidneys exhibiting the same lectin binding pattern. In accordance with recent observations in the literature the disclosure of a similar lectin binding pattern in renal oncocytomas and their precursor lesions exhibiting oncocytic transformation clearly favors the assumption of an identical histogenetic origin. On the other hand, few cases of a carcinoma mimicking collecting duct epithelium exhibited a broader lectin binding pattern revealing evidence of secretory activity; the histochemical similarities between this unusual carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma confirmed the suggested origin from the ducts of Bellini. In conclusion, lectin histochemistry may be a useful tool for estimating the characteristics of renal tumors and elucidating their histogenesis.