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Background: Stereotactic radiotherapy is a non-invasive procedure in which doses of radiation are administered to cerebral lesions in an ablative attempt. Magnetic resonance plays an important role in evaluating therapeutic response and complications. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze brain metastases by magnetic resonance, evaluating the changes that occur following treatment with stereotactic radiotherapy to determine whether image characteristics are related to the treatment success rate. Material and methods: A study of cases and controls in 20 metastases was conducted, of patients subjected to stereotactic radiotherapy, who had baseline magnetic resonance and post-treatment control. The variables analyzed were: volume of lesion, detection of lesion, perilesional edema, and mass effect. Results: no magnetic resonance image characteristics were observed that could be associated with a poor response to treatment; however, metastases originating in a melanoma were associated with poor response to treatment. Size larger than 1 cm³ was associated with good response to treatment, and the origin of metastases in primary tumors of the lung. Conclusions: Among the lesions analyzed only the size larger than 1 cm³ as a variable assessed by image was associated with a good response to treatment, and with the pulmonary origin of metastasis. Melanoma as the origin of metastasis was associated with poor response to treatment. Due to the limited number of patients, these results should be considered preliminary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]