Objective To summarize the MRI findings of 16 cases of patients with intraventricular central neurocytoma and analyze the causes and identification of misdiagnosis. Methods The clinical data (including radiographic data and pathology data) of 16 cases of patients diagnosed with intraventricular central neurocytoma by preoperative MRI in our hospital from January 2009 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were performed MRI plain scan and enhanced scan. The MRI findings were judged on the basis of surgical and pathological findings, and the MRI of patients with intraventricular central neurocytoma was summarized, and the causes and identifications of misdiagnosed patients were analyzed. Results Among 16 patients, there were 11 cases with preoperative correct diagnosis (8 cases in the lateral ventricle, 2 cases in the third ventricle involving the interventricular foramen, 1 case in the fourth ventricle) and 5 cases with misdiagnosis (2 cases of glioma, 1 cases of ependymoma, 1 case of mixed germ cell tumor, 1 case of meningioma). There were adjacent septum pellucidum or Monro hole and multiple cystic lesions in the internal or edge, which varied in size, shape, and might be small cystic, irregular or multilocular cystic lesions. There were mostly solid parts, and visibly cystic lesions. The solid part of the T1WI was with slightly lower signal and T2WI was with slightly higher signal. The cystic part of T1WI was with low signal and T2WI was with high signal. Some patients were accompanied by hemorrhage, the tumor surrounding brain edema, the ventricles dilatation and the midline displacement. The enhanced scan showed there were obvious inhomogeneous enhancement in the lesions and no enhancement in the cystic lesions and necrosis in calcification area. ConclusionFor patients with tumors in the anterior ventricles or near the interventricular foramen, it is possible to make differential diagnosis with the combination of surgical pathology and immunohistochemical markers on the basis of the MRI findings, thus reducing the rate of misdiagnosis.