Abstract
Aims and objective: BAE role has been established as an effective technique in the emergency treatment of life threatening hemoptysis. We report our experience with 110 cases that underwent BAE.
Material and methods: Records of 110 consecutive patients (89 males and 21 females) from march 2005 to march 2010 with massive hemoptysis and who underwent BAE were retrospectively studied and analyzed.
Results: The mean age of patients who underwent BAE was 46 years (range 19-80 years). 50% of patients presented with acute hemoptysis. The aetiology of hemoptysis included post tubercular bronchiectasis in 53 patients (48%), active pulmonary tuberculosis in 40 patients (36%), mycetoma in 11 patients (10%), pneumonia in 4 patients (6%), pulmonary embolism in 1 patient and unknown in 1 patient. Embolization was done with Polyvinyl alcohol Cook's particles (size 300-750 micron) in 90 patients, coils in 6 patients and gel foam in 14 patients. Overall, 112 sessions of embolization were performed and average number of arteries embolized per patient was 3.5 Massive hemoptysis was successfully controlled in 102 patients but 10 patients had recurrence and were treated by re-embolization. 1 patient expired despite re-embolization. 3 patients were sent for lobectomy. The complication of BAE seen included perforation of bronchial artery (in two patients), transient chest pain (in 10 patients) and secondary infection in one patient.
Conclusion: BAE is a safe and effective procedure for controlling massive hemoptysis and should be regarded as the first line treatment for patients presenting with massive hemoptysis. Multiple sites of non-bronchial collaterals causing hemoptysis are not unusual.
- © 2011 ERS
