Evidence mapPaperPMID 42433533Full record

ArticleQuantitative imaging in medicine and surgery2026

Clinical value of dual low-dose computed tomography angiography incorporating artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction for assessing arteriovenous fistulas/grafts among hemodialysis patients.

Wenming Zhang, Beili Shou, Jing Li, Yixuan Zou, Xi Hu, Yangheng Zhou, Hongjie Hu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Wenming Zhang *Department of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Beili Shou *Department of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Jing LiUnited Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China.
Yixuan ZouUnited Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China.
Xi HuDepartment of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Yangheng ZhouDepartment of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Hongjie HuDepartment of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Upper extremity computed tomography angiography (CTA) plays an important role in evaluating arteriovenous fistula or arteriovenous graft (AVF/AVG) dysfunction in hemodialysis patients, but conventional protocols are associated with substantial radiation exposure and contrast load, raising concerns in this vulnerable population requiring repeated imaging. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical value of dual low-dose upper extremity CTA incorporating artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction (AIIR) for AVF/AVG assessment in hemodialysis patients. Methods: One hundred and two patients (mean age, 60.33±13.60 years, 52 men) with suspected AVF/AVG dysfunction were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned to undergo either routine-dose CTA (Group A, 100 kVp, 1.0 mL/kg contrast, hybrid iterative reconstruction; n=51) or low-dose CTA (Group B, 80 kVp, 0.6 mL/kg contrast, AIIR; n=51). Qualitative and quantitative results were analyzed and compared. Among these patients, only 44 patients (176 segments) underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) serving as the reference standard. The diagnostic performance for detecting significant stenosis (>50%) was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic analysis, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and generalized estimating equations (GEEs). Results: Demographic characteristics were comparable between two groups (all P>0.05). Group B reduced radiation and contrast doses by 52.2% and 40.5%, respectively, compared to Group A. Qualitative scores showed no significant difference between the two groups (all P>0.05). Quantitatively, Group B exhibited approximately 165% and 162% improvement in signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio over Group A, respectively (all P<0.001). Per-segment and per-patient analyses demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (98% and 95%, respectively), with excellent CTA-DSA agreement for stenosis grading (ICC >0.90 across all evaluated segments). GEE analysis showed no significant difference between groups in detecting significant stenosis (odd ratio =0.99; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.14; P=0.899). Conclusions: Dual low-dose CTA with AIIR significantly reduces radiation and contrast doses, while providing superior image quality and preserving diagnostic confidence for evaluating AVF/AVG stenosis.

Indexed as

arteriovenous fistula (AVF)arteriovenous graft (AVG)artificial intelligence (AI)radiation doseUpper extremity computed tomography angiography

Identifiers

PMID42433533
PMCPMC13349951

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.