Interventional occlusive radiological procedure for bleeding in head and neck carcinomas

Introduction:

Acute bleeding in the head and neck cancer patients can be severe and difficult to manage especially in pre-radiated and operated cases. Moreover in palliative cases surgical interventions should be limited to the necessary and permanent hemostasis is difficult to achieve due to local tissue necrosis and presence of tumor. In these cases, embolization of surrounding vessels by interventional radiology is a safe option to stop bleeding at the source with low impact on quality of life.

Methods:

In a series of 15 consequtive cases in the period between 2005 and 2017 endovascular coiling or placing of microparticles by interventional radiology was performed successfully in the Department of Otolaryngology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin at Campus Benjamin Franklin due to tumor bleeding and after limited surgical interventions had failed.

Results:

Embolization of blood vessels by endovascular occlusion is a reliable and uncomplicated secondline option to control recurrent bleeding of head and neck cancer if other measures have failed and more extended surgery is not indicated due to the patients overall-status or unwanted.

Publication History

Publication Date:
18 April 2018 (online)