The effect of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) on the sensitivity of cranial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was measured in a prospective blinded study. Twenty-two consecutive patients with benign extraaxial tumors underwent MR imaging on a 1.5-T system without and with intravenous administration of Gd-DTPA. Readers independently interpreted the unenhanced and enhanced images without clinical information. The interpretations were compared with the anatomically verified diagnoses. Gd-DTPA improved the sensitivity of MR imaging for benign extraaxial tumors, especially in cases of residual or recurrent acoustic neuromas, multiple tumors (e.g., neurofibromatosis), or inconclusive unenhanced MR images. Enhancement with Gd-DTPA impaired the identification of a skull base tumor.