A comparative review of head and neck lesions examined with both CT and MRI showed that the location and extent of lesions can be more precisely evaluated with MRI. MRI allows better differentiation of neurogenic tumors from other lesions. Vascular structures are easily visualized on MRI without intravenous contrast and can easily be differentiated from lymph nodes. However, cystic lesions and necrotic nodes sometimes could not be differentiated from solid lesions when using MRI.