Digital subtraction angiography embolization for treatment of uncontrollable epistaxis.

Objective To investigate the effect of digital subtraction angiographic embolization for treatment of uncontrollable epistaxis. Methods 17 patients with uncontrollable epistaxis were treated with embolization aided by digital subtraction angiography(DSA) of carotid, meanwhile the facial artery were also embolized in 3 cases. Results It was comfirmed that hypogenesis and malformation in the ends of internal maxillary artery were existed in all cases during DSA, and facial artery with abnormal shape was found in 3 cases. Nose bleeding was stopped in all cases after embolized. There no recurrent nose-bleeding was observed in all cases after a follow-up of 0.8 to 5 years and no severe complications occurred to these cases. Conclusion Angiographic embolization is a safe and effective method for stopping uncontrollable epistaxis and it is the best method in the senile patients with other diseases.