The role of imaging methods is of great importance in diagnostics of breast disease, differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions and early recognition and staging of breast cancer. It is of utter importance to perceive characteristics of malignant lesions, as well as physiological processes and characteristics of benign breast lesions in order to distinguish them from incipient malignant lesions and to recognise high-risk benign breast lesions. Unfortunately, manifestations of benign and malignant lesions often overlap and can not be differentiated even in pathological examination. Therefore, it is not unanticipated that occasionally imaging methods can not differentiate benign and malignant breast lesions in reliable manner. The aim of this paper is to review and present the capabilities of contemporary routine diagnostic methods with an emphasis on mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance. As a result of advanced development of technology we are witnessing expansion of diagnostic methods and appearance of new methods such as sonoelastography, automated whole-breast ultrasound, contrast mammography and digital tomosynthesis. Despite its shortcomings mammography remains best available imaging method for screening of asymptomatic women because of its high sensitivity in visualization of microcalcifications as first signs of carcinoma. Ultrasound is utilized as initial method in young women, expectant mothers and as complementary method in women with dense breasts due to low sensitivity of mammography in dense tissue. It is also considered to be the best method for image-guided biopsy. Magnetic resonance is considered to be the most complex of all imaging methods and with highest sensitivity in visualization of vascularisation of breast lesions. However, its low specificity represents a problem in differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions.