Bronchial artery embolization to control haemoptysis.

This is a retrospective study of 15 patients who had bronchial artery angiography and embolization for life-threatening haemoptysis in the period January 1986 to March 1993. Eight were male and seven were female, in the age range 32-77 years. Massive haemoptysis has a 50-100% mortality if treated conservatively and surgery has an up to 35% mortality in this high-risk group. Nine patients had advanced tumours. Seven had technically successful procedures, with haemoptysis being controlled in six and one patient dying from post-procedural massive haemoptysis. One of the patients with failed embolization died from massive haemoptysis and the other had spontaneous settling of bleeding. The other six patients suffered from bronchiectasis (2), aspergilloma involving tuberculous cavity (2), active tuberculosis (1), and abscess cavity presumably due to vasculitis (1). Technically successful embolizations were achieved in all six; three had control of haemoptysis, one required successful re-embolization after massive bleeding following initial embolization, one suffered continuing non-massive bleeding and one died soon afterwards from massive haemoptysis.