Thinking outside the box: Use of the pressure wire to assess intracranial large artery stenoses.

A novel study investigating the utility of the 0.014″ diameter pressure wire to assess the hemodynamic significance of intermediate intracranial stenosis. Technical aspects of pressure wire positioning across intracranial arteries are described. Further research is required to clarify the assessment of pressure gradients in the cerebral circulation and to define the optimal threshold for intervention.