Objective: To assess the clinical value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosis of intraductal papilloma. Methods: One hundred and seventy-six female patients having preoperative MRI data, undergoing surgical treatment and with pathological confirmation were selected. Of the patients, there were 37 cases of intraductal papilloma, 52 cases of non-papilloma benign lesions, and 87 cases of breast cancer. Comparison among the three groups of patients was performed in regard to clinical, pathological and MRI data, and the latter included time-intensity curve, imaging findings, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Results: Thirty-seven lesions were found in the 37 intraductal papilloma, 56 lesions were found in the 52 patients with non-papilloma benign diseases, and 92 lesions were found in the 87 breast cancer patients, respectively. Compared with patients in other two groups, patients with intraductal papilloma showed no difference in age of onset (F=2.470, P=0.088), but was statistically different in lesion size, location, time-intensity curve, imaging manifestations, and ADC value (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Intraductal papilloma has distinct MRI characteristics, so, with support of ADC value, MRI can be used as an important approach for clinical diagnosis of intraductal papilloma.