From April 1979 to June 1985 percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was attempted in 68 patients at our clinic to treat renovascular hypertension and/or to preserve renal function. The etiology of renal artery disease was atherosclerosis in 55 patients, fibrous dysplasia in 6, renal transplant arterial stenosis in 5 and postoperative saphenous vein graft stenosis in 2. A successful clinical outcome, defined as a decrease in blood pressure and/or improvement in renal function, was achieved in 12 patients (26.1 per cent) with atherosclerotic renal artery disease, 3 (75 per cent) with fibrous dysplasia, 2 (100 per cent) with saphenous vein graft stenosis and all 5 with transplant renal arterial stenosis (100 per cent). Improved results were observed in patients with nonostial atherosclerotic lesions compared to ostial lesions. There were 23 complications (33.8 per cent) after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and all but 1 occurred with atherosclerosis. Of these complications 13 (19 per cent) were considered major. Since the beginning of 1983, however, only 3 complications occurred among 32 procedures (9.4 per cent) and only 1 of these was of major significance. When technically feasible, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty can provide effective treatment for selected patients with renal artery stenosis.