Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is the most frequently inherited ataxia. To test the hypothesis that iron is increased in the cerebellum of patients with FA, we developed a multigradient echo magnetic resonance sequence for the three-dimensional imaging of brain iron-induced contrast. Relaxation rate (R2*) values in the unaffected globus pallidus were equal in FA patients and controls, although R2* values in the dentate nucleus of patients were significantly higher, which is most likely due to increased iron.