True three-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging was performed on an 84-year-old man following a recent cerebral embolic infarction. NMR data obtained using different pulse sequences were inter-correlated, stressing the significance of image appearance in terms of the NMR tissue parameters. Planes selected for display from the three-dimensional data set allowed optimal visualization of the pathology. Accurate correlations of the NMR data with X-ray computerized tomography scans and with subsequent autopsy findings indicate that NMR may play an important role in the detection and diagnosis of ischemic stroke.