Arterial embolization in the chest.
Najarian KE, Morris CS
Transcatheter therapy is an effective technique in the treatment of
vascular abnormalities in the chest. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations,
associated with the clinical sequellae of dyspnea, stroke, brain abscess,
and hemoptysis, can be treated by transcatheter embolization with metallic
coils or occlusion balloons. The results of treatment are excellent, with
improvement seen in symptoms and physiologic parameters. The bronchial
arteries and systemic nonbronchial collateral arteries supplying the tracheobronchial
tree are most frequently involved in massive hemoptysis, a serious disorder
with associated high rates of morbidity and mortality. Transcatheter embolization
of these arteries is both safe and effective, requiring a thorough understanding
of the arterial anatomy and technique of embolization.
