The lateral ventricles are part of the ventricular system of the brain. Both cerebral hemispheres contain a lateral ventricle. The lateral ventricles are the largest of the ventricles.

Each lateral ventricle resembles a C-shaped structure that begins at an inferior horn in the temporal lobe, travels through a body in the parietal lobe and frontal lobe, and ultimately terminates at the interventricular foramina where each lateral ventricle connects to the central third ventricle. Along the path, a posterior horn extends backward into the occipital lobe, and an anterior horn extends farther into the frontal lobe.