Population-wide screening with regard to intracranial aneurysms or carotid stenosis with non-invasive imaging techniques and preventive surgery/endovascular therapy can be justified, provided that treatment-associated morbidity is very low. There is no evidence for the rationale of screening for asymptomatic intracranial tumours, cysts or hydrocephalus. Genetic screening cannot be generally recommended, except among families affected by inherited conditions.