Levene index

Last revised by Jeremy Jones on 8 Jan 2022

The Levene index or ventricular index is a marker of ventricular size in infants. It is defined as the distance between the falx and the lateral wall of the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle in the coronal plane 1.  

The Levene index is a marker of ventricular volume and thus can be used in the diagnosis of hydrocephalus particularly in the setting of germinal matrix hemorrhage and ventricular dilation 1,2

Normal values change with age and thus reference to nomograms is essential 2

The measurement is obtained on transcranial ultrasound through the anterior fontanelle in infants in the coronal plane slightly posterior to the foramen of Monro. A measurement is made from the falx to the lateral border of lateral ventricle.

This measurement was first described by Malcolm I Levene in 1981 1

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