Background Computed tomography (CT) is better than routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting intracranial calcification. This study aimed to assess the value of MR susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in the detection and differentiation of intracranial calcification and hemorrhage.Methods Enrolled in this study were 35 patients including 13 cases of calcification demonstrated by CT and 22 cases of intracerebral hemorrhage. MR sequences used in all the subjects included axial T1WI, T2WI and SWI. The phase shift (PS) of calcification and hemorrhage on SWI was calculated and their signal features on corrected phase images were compared. The sensitivity of T1WI, T2WI and SWI in detecting intracranial calcification and hemorrhage was analyzed statistically.Results The detection rate of SWI for cranial calcification was 98.2%, significantly higher than that of T1 Wl and T2WI. It was not significantly different from that of CT (P >0.05). There were 49 hemorrhagic lesions at different stages detected n SWI, 30 on T2WI and 18 on T1WI. The average PS of calcification and hemorrhage was +0.734han routine MRI in detecting micro-hemorrhage, SWI may play an important role in differentiating cerebral diseases associated with calcification or hemorrhage.