Abstract
Introduction: Bronchial artery embolisation (BAE) is the procedure of selective bronchial angiography with embolisation of abnormal vessels.
Aims and objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of BAE in patients with haemoptysis in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).
Methods: This is a retrospective study of all patients of haemoptysis in PTB who underwent BAE between January 2004 and December 2010 in a tertiary care hospital in India. Bronchial arteriography and embolisation was performed using 5 French pigtail catheter and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles ranging from 150 to 1000 micrometers.
Results: 34 patients (21 males and 13 females) of haemoptysis in PTB, underwent 37 BAE procedures during the period of study. 11 (32.3%) of these patients had multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Mean age of patients was 29.4 years (range: 13-69 years). Indication of BAE was: acute major haemoptysis in 11 (32.3%) and chronic recurrent bleeding in 23 (67.7%) patients. Haemoptysis was successfully controlled after the embolisation procedure in 32 (94.1%) patients. Procedure was repeated in three (8.8%) patients within a period of six months because of recurrent haemoptysis. Following arteries were embolised: right bronchial artery (11), left bronchial artery (7), common bronchial trunk (7), intercostal artery (14), right internal mammary artery (1), thyrocervical trunk (1), right intercostobronchial (2), and left intercostobronchial (1). No abnormal vessel was detected in one patient. The only complication encountered was local haematoma in one (2.94%) patient.
Conclusions: Bronchial artery embolisation is an effective and safe procedure for haemoptysis in pulmonary tuberculosis.
- © 2011 ERS
