Eight patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI findings were verified by surgery in five, compared with ultrasonography in eight, with computed tomography in four and with angiography in eight patients. The size and extent of aneurysm, presence of thrombus, size of the residual lumen and involvement of branch vessels were readily demonstrated by MRI. Whilst sonography should remain the screening procedure of choice in patients with suspected abdominal aortic aneurysms, this early experience suggests that MRI may prove to be a noninvasive and adequate means of evaluating patients prior to surgery.