SURVIVAL AFTER EMBOLIZATION OF THE INTERNAL ILIAC ARTERIES IN 10 PATIENTS WITH SEVERE HEMATURIA DUE TO RECURRENT PELVIC CARCINOMA

Therapeutic embolization of the internal iliac arteries is a well esta blished technique for controlling severe haematuria caused by malignan t disease, but there are few reports of the long term outcome, We perf ormed iliac artery embolization procedures on 10 patients with severe haematuria secondary to widespread inoperable pelvic carcinoma, betwee n 1979 and 1992, and have followed these patients until death, Prior t o embolization, the mean transfusion requirement was 12 units (range 2 -39 units), Survival ranged from 12 h to 31 months (median 3.84 months ), Five of the nine patients who survived more than 12 h had complete relief of haematuria until their deaths, and only two patients require d further blood transfusions, Our conclusions are that haematuria from inoperable pelvic carcinoma is usually controlled by therapeutic arte rial embolization and that the duration of haematuria relief is usuall y life long.