The first patient was a 33-year-old woman, diabetic, hypertensive, in whom the haematoma was due to rupture of a Klebsiella abcess of the kidney. The second patient was a 68-year-old woman, who for several months had suffered from renal lithiasis complicated by urinary infections. Spontaneous sub-capsular haematoma of the kidney is rare (21 cases published since 1960, including 2 personal). The diagnosis must be considered in the presence of a characteristic double-contour seen on a plain X-ray of the abdomen, nephrotomographies and intravenous urography. Renal carcinoma is the commonest cause.