SUPRASELECTIVE EMBOLIZATION IN INTRACTABLE EPISTAXIS - REVIEW OF 45 CASES

Epistaxis is a common and in most cases benign event. Severe or recurr ent epistaxis, however, can present therapeutic problems. Forty-five c ases of supraselective embolization in intractable epistaxis are repor ted. The authors' success rate of 97%, similar to the success rates re ported in the literature, confirms the effectiveness of this technique . Complications occurred in only 8% of the cases. One serious complica tion was neurologic. Percutaneous embolization is an effective option for managing intractable posterior nasal bleeding but is not recommend ed as an early form of treatment.