Evidence mapPaperPMID 41342928Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2026

Angiography versus angio-based fractional flow in assessing intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis.

Yongsheng Liu, Guiwen Shao, Yuxiang Liu, Yongjian Liu, Feng Wang

Abstract readComparative Study
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Article in European radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Yongsheng Liu *Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. liuyongsheng_dl@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7345-2628
Guiwen Shao *Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Yuxiang LiuDepartment of Interventional Neuroradiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Yongjian LiuDepartment of Interventional Neuroradiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
Feng WangDepartment of Interventional Neuroradiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. wangfeng_dalian@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic performance of Angio-based fractional flow (Angio-FF) compared to the degree of stenosis (DS) in identifying symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis (IVBS) and assess its utility across lesion subgroups. MATERIALS AND

methodsA retrospective analysis of patients with IVBS was conducted at our institution. Inclusion criteria included patients aged > 18 years with unilateral IVBS (40-90%) confirmed by digital subtraction angiography. Angio-FF was calculated using specialized software. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive values (PPV/NPV), and the area under the curve (AUC) were compared between Angio-FF and DS.

resultsIn 120 patients, 84 were symptomatic, and 36 were asymptomatic. The median Angio-FF value was significantly lower in symptomatic lesions (0.66 vs. 0.88, p < 0.001). Angio-FF showed superior diagnostic performance over DS in identifying symptomatic IVBS (AUC: 0.847 vs. 0.640; p < 0.001). The optimal Angio-FF cutoff value for distinguishing symptomatic IVBS was 0.74, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 71.4%, 86.1%, and 75.8%, respectively. Additionally, Angio-FF showed relatively good diagnostic performance across various lesion subgroups, including different lesion lengths, location, and DS.

conclusionsAngio-FF outperformed DS in identifying symptomatic IVBS. It may serve as a reliable tool for identifying symptomatic IVBS in diverse patient populations. KEY POINTS: Question Does Angio-based fractional flow (Angio-FF) provide superior diagnostic accuracy compared to the degree of stenosis alone in identifying symptomatic intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis (IVBS)? Findings Angio-FF demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy, with an optimal cutoff value of 0.74 and consistent performance across various lesion subgroups. Clinical relevance Angio-FF improves hemodynamic risk stratification in IVBS and may facilitate more individualized treatment strategies.

Indexed as

Angiography, Digital SubtractionCerebral AngiographyVertebrobasilar InsufficiencyAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityAngiographyFractional flowHemodynamicsIntracranial stenosisVertebrobasilar artery

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.