BACKGROUND Cerebral angiography (CA) is considered as the gold standard in diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms; nevertheless, the magnetic resonance angiography (MR-angiography) is wide spread used in detection of unruptured aneurysm. For this reason, several authors had proposed that MR-angiography could replace CA in the diagnosis of ruptured aneurysms. OBJECTIVE To asses the efficacy of MR-angiography in diagnosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, and in addition to determine the safeness of its surgical management with MR-angiography alone. METHODS We studied prospectively 52 patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage admitted at Teodoro Maldonado Carbo and Alcívar Guayaquil hospitals of Guayaquil, Ecuador, in a 5 years period. We compared the results of MR-angiography with CA and surgical findings in the diagnosis and categorization of intracranial aneurysms. RESULTS We made diagnosis of 100% of 54 aneurysms with MR-angiography, while 98% with CA. The surgical findings were similar to the characteristics showed by MR-angiography. CONCLUSIONS MR-angiography is an excellent no invasive method in the diagnosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, and could replace CA in selected cases.