Identification of the cause of an ICH or IVH typically relies on clinical evaluation supported by computer tomography (CT) with or without conventional contrast cerebral angiography in selected patients. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has substantially improved our diagnostic capabilities, the appropriate use of MRI and its effectiveness has not been studied systematically in these patients. Furthermore, it is unclear whether routine MRI in ICH yields clinically relevant data. For this reason routine use or MRI in patients with ICH is highly variable in clinical practice. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the findings detected on MRI will change management decisions regarding further diagnostic testing and therapeutic options above and beyond that which can be achieved by CT and cerebral angiography.