Introduction::
Intraventricular tumours constitute 1.5–3% of all brain tumours. These tumours are a very heterogeneous group. There are many histologic types, various symptomatology and different surgical approaches. One of the possible complications is hydrocephalus, sometimes demanding shunt implantation. The authors estimated the relationship between shunt-dependent hydrocephalus and tumour location, the extension of resection, occurrence of preoperative hydrocephalus and the use of an external ventricular shunt.

Material and methods::
A retrospective analysis of 31 cases with primary intraventricular tumours operated on in the Neurosurgical Department of the State Hospital in Jastrzebie-Zdroj between 2002 and 2013 was conducted. The age of the patients ranged between 17 and 75 years. This group constituted 2.3% of all patients with brain tumours.

Results::
14 tumours (45.2%) were located in the 4th ventricle, 9 (35%) in the 3rd ventricle, 8 (25.8%) in lateral ventricles. The histopathological diagnostics revealed: 6 cases of ependymoma WHO II (19.4%), 4 cases of subepen-dymoma (12.9%), 3 cases of choroid plexus carcinoma, 2 coloid cysts (6.5%), 2 cases of malignant ependymoma WHO III/IV (6.5%) and 10 other diagnoses. Total resection was performed in 81% of tumours. Preoperative hydrocephalus appeared in 35% of cases. A perioperative external ventricular shunt was applied in 42% of patients. Shunt-dependent hydrocephalus appeared after 12.9% of operations (4 patients). Statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the existence of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus and tumour location (p = 0.041).

Conclusions::
The extent of resection, the occurrence of preoperative hydrocephalus and the use of an external ventricular shunt do not change the risk of the development of postoperative hydrocephalus. Only the location of the tu-mour has a statistically significant influence on the occurrence of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus.