Renal oncocytoma is one of the most unusual benign lesion, which are usually diagnosed postoperatively, since their differentiation from renal cell carcinoma is challenging. The present study reports two cases of renal oncocytoma in a 60-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man. Relevant clinical and pathological data on the two patients were retrieved. The tumors were excised and the patients underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. Typical features of oncocytoma were observed upon histological examination of the excised specimens. The postoperative course of each patient was uneventful and they were discharged 8 and 7 days post-surgery, respectively. In addition, the current study presents the results of a literature review regarding the radiological, immunohistochemical and pathological characteristics of renal oncocytoma.