[Diagnosis and therapy of obstructions of the foramen of Monro]

Occlusions or obstructions in the region of the interventricular foramen (also known as foramen of Monro) can be due to a variety of causes. Among these are lesions of the hypothalamus that can be operated on under present-day conditions and in certain cases. This article draws attention to the possibility of choosing between several surgical approaches. Analysis of our own material (27 cases) during the past ten years shows that good results can be obtained when using modern methods of diagnosis and treatment. Four case reports are presented of four typical patients with occlusion of the foramen of Monro. If there is an associated hydrocephalus, the transcortico-transventricular approach appears to be the most appropriate one. It seems it is not always possible to effect exact type-specific separation of the diseases in the third ventricle. The presence of blood in the CSF can be a pointer toward a tumour in the third ventricle.