Objective To explore the value of magnetic susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in the differential diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and vascularized Parkinson's syndrome (VPS). Methods The results of SWI analysis of 30 patients with PD (PD) and 30 patients with VPS (VPS) from January 2013 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The results were compared between the two groups. Of the phase value of the difference between the two groups of patients with the measured values and routine examination of our hospital as a control group for comparison. Results The phase values of the substantia nigra (SNc), globus pallidus (GP) and crustal nucleus (PUT) were significantly lower in the PD group than in the VPS group and the control group (P <0.05).There was no significant difference in the GP and PUT values between the control group and the VPS group (P> 0.05).There was no significant difference in the red nuclei (RN) between the three groups (P> 0.05).There was significant difference in SNc phase values between PD patients at all levels (P <0.05). Compared with patients with grade IV, grade I and II were higher than those of patients with grade IV (P <0.05), and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05) between PD patients and VPS. (P <0.05), but there was no significant difference (P> 0.05) between the PUT and the caudate nucleus (CN). Conclusion The phase value of the nucleus of the vertebral body in PD patients and VPS patients was measured by magnetic susceptibility weighted imaging, which could be used as a reference for the identification of the two.