Management of vascular soft tissue neoplasms using transcatheter embolization and surgical excision.

Preoperative embolization of highly vascular soft tissue tumors was performed in four patients. Selective catheterization of branch vessels supplying the tumors successfully avoided inadvertent embolization of adjacent normal tissue. Operative blood loss was significantly less than anticipated, permitting an easier, more precise, and quicker operation. Two of the lesions were benign intramuscular hemangiomas; one was a fibrosarcoma, and one, a malignant schwannoma. Three tumors were resected completely. A small portion of one hemangioma could not be removed. All patients were free of recurrence during follow-up periods of 6 to 14 months.