Prostatic magnetic resonance images of 22 male volunteers less than 30 years old and with no known genito-urinary tract disease were obtained at 1.5 T. Normal anatomical features of the prostate were studied with spin-echo techniques. Different zones of the normal gland are shown by T2-weighted images: the anterior fibromuscular fascia, the central prostate, the peripheral prostate and the periurethral zone can be differentiated. The normal prostate gland is shown on T1-weighted images as a homogeneous appearance. It is important to recognize the normal zonal anatomy of the prostate since prostatic disorders arise in different anatomical zones.