PURPOSE: To describe curved planar reconstruction imaging (CPRI) and determine its usefulness in the evaluation of focal cortical dysplasia of the brain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 17 cases of focal cortical dysplasia [cortical dysplasia (n=9), schizencephaly (n=5), and heterotopia (n=3)], CPR images were created using a multiplanar reconstruction program and imaging data obtained during T1 magnetizationprepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo MR imaging. We assessed the precise configuration of abnormalities and their relation to adjacent gyri and sulci. RESULTS: CPRI showed the brain cortex as a 2D panoramic image, demonstrating the precise configurations and locations of dysplasia-associated abnormalities and their relation to adjacent gyri and sulci, and the precise shape of the gray-white matter interface. CONCLUSION: CPRI can provide important radiological information about the extension and configuration of focal cortical dysplasia, and its relation to neighboring cortical structures. We believe that CPRI should form an essential part of the routine investigation of suspected cases of focal cortical dysplasia.