Table 4.

The exploration of heterogeneity via subgroup analysis and meta-regression by identifying covariates in the estimated combined pooled sensitivity and specificity of CTA for detection of any BCVI

	No.		Mean value (95% CI)
Covariate	Studies	Patients	Pooled sensitivity %	Pooled specificity %	Meta-regression joint p
Temporality
Prospective [6, 34–37]	5	610	64.9 [44.7–80.8]	96.0 [84.5–99.1]
Retrospective [20, 23–25]	4	1363	69.5 [49.2–84.2]	93.1 [69.7–98.8]	0.029
Number of CTA slices
<16 [6, 23, 34]	3	226	63.1 [46.3–77.2]	94.6 [61.7–99.5]
16 [25, 35–37]	4	385	70.3 [41.3–88.9]	96.1 [86.5–98.9]	0.868*
>16 [20, 24, 36]	3	1362	65.9 [36.3–86.8]	93.0 [59.8–99.2]	0.683ϕ
Primary unit of analysis
Per-artery [6, 23–25]	4	912	63.1 [46.3–77.2]	94.6 [61.7–99.5]
Per-patient [34, 36]	2	202	70.3 [41.3–88.9]	96.1 [86.5–989]	< 0.001§
Per-artery and per-patient [20, 35, 37]	3	859	65.9 [36.3–86.8]	93.0 [59.8–99.2]	0.035¥

*Test of comparison between <16 and 16 slices

ϕTest of comparison between <16 and >16 slices

§Test of comparison between per-artery and per-patient

¥Test of comparison between per-artery and per-artery and per-patient