Intracranial branch atheromatous disease (BAD) was first described in 1989 as a mechanism of small infarct due to an occlusion or stenosis at the origin of a deep penetrating artery of the brain. BAD remained a negelected concept for decades. In recent years, the wider diffusion of magnetic resonance imaging techniques brought new attention to the BAD. It is still lack of consistency both in the terminology and in the subsequent ischemic infarctions. We review the definition of BAD, as well as the associated clinical and imaging features.