We evaluated the images of 60 carotid artery bifurcations in 31 patients suspected to have carotid artery disease who underwent invasive carotid angiography and combined two-dimensional, phase-sensitive and a gradient-echo magnetic resonance angiography. The phase scans consisted of seven serial projections that were obtained at 20 degrees intervals (11.0 minutes) around the carotid bifurcation; the gradient-echo (GRASS) scans were composed of 11 axial images (2.4 minutes) acquired through the bifurcation. The two magnetic resonance angiographic techniques yielded complementary pieces of information and were used together to compare magnetic resonance angiography with invasive angiography. Comparison of magnetic resonance and invasive angiograms of the 60 carotid arteries shows that the sensitivity (86%) and specificity (92%) of the magnetic resonance angiographic techniques we used to diagnose clinically significant carotid stenosis approach but do not reach those of invasive angiography.