Non-invasive assessment is preferred for monitoring arteriovenous dialysis fistulas (AVFs). Vector concentration assesses flow complexity, which may correlate with stenosis severity. We determined whether vector concentration could assess stenosis severity in dysfunctional AVFs. Vector concentration was estimated in four stenotic phantoms at different pulse repetition frequencies. Spectral Doppler peak velocity and vector concentration were measured in 12 patients with dysfunctional AVFs. Additionally, 5 patients underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA). In phantoms, vector concentration exhibited an inverse relationship with stenosis severity and was less affected by aliasing in severe stenoses. In nine stenoses of 5 patients undergoing DSA, vector concentration correlated strongly with stenosis severity (first stenosis: r = –0.73, p = 0.04; other stenoses; r = –0.69, p = 0.02) and mid-stenotic diameter (first stenosis: r = 0.87, p = 0.006; other stenoses: r = 0.70, p = 0.02) as opposed to peak velocities (p > 0.05). Vector concentration is less affected by aliasing in severe stenoses and correlates with DSA in patients with dysfunctional AVF.

无创评估是监测动静脉透析瘘 (AVF) 的首选方法。矢量浓度评估流动复杂性，这可能与狭窄的严重程度相关。我们确定了载体浓度是否可以评估功能失调的 AVF 中的狭窄严重程度。在不同脉冲重复频率的四个狭窄体模中估计矢量浓度。在 12 名 AVF 功能失调的患者中测量了频谱多普勒峰值速度和矢量浓度。此外，5 名患者接受了数字减影血管造影 (DSA)。在体模中，矢量浓度与狭窄严重程度呈负相关，并且在严重狭窄中受混叠的影响较小。在接受 DSA 的 5 名患者的 9 处狭窄中，载体浓度与狭窄严重程度密切相关（第一次狭窄：r  = –0.73，p  = 0.04；其他狭窄；r  = –0.69，p  = 0.02）和中间狭窄直径（第一次狭窄：r  = 0.87，p  = 0.006；其他狭窄：r  = 0.70，p  = 0.02）与峰值速度（p > 0.05）相反。载体浓度受严重狭窄中混叠的影响较小，并且与功能失调的 AVF 患者中的 DSA 相关。