The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 32, 392-400, Copyright © 1981 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Massive hemoptysis: control by transcatheter bronchial artery embolization
DJ Magilligan Jr, S Ravipati, P Zayat, PC Shetty, G Bower and P Kvale
Massive hemoptysis (600 ml in 48 hours) has an ominous prognosis with a
mortality of 50 to 100% in medically treated patients and up to 35% in
patients undergoing operation. Surgical resection has been the procedure of
choice in patients with massive hemoptysis. Those with a contraindication
to operation present a particularly frustrating problem. We have treated 7
such patients with massive hemoptysis by transcatheter bronchial artery
embolization. In all 7, the bleeding was arrested. Two patients died of
recurrent hemoptysis, 1 ten days and the other 2 months following
embolization, and 5 are well 1 month to one year later. Transcatheter
bronchial artery embolization is a valuable therapeutic modality in
patients with massive hemoptysis. However, the procedure is palliative,
and, therefore, elective resection must be considered as definitive
treatment in those patients who have no contraindication to operation.