15 patients with asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging. The results were compared to the sonographic findings in 12, the computed tomographic in 14 and the angiographic findings in 14 cases. 14 patients were operated and the diagnostic results were verified. The advantage of MRI in comparison with the other diagnostic methods is the visualization of an infrarenal segment on the coronal images, which can be anastomized with the vascular prosthesis. The evidence of this segment is important to know for the vascular surgeon to plan the operation technique. The disadvantage of MRI ist that thrombotic material and arteriosclerotic plaques were bad or not visualized. We try to estimate, which importance the MRI will get in further times in the preoperative diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysms.