[Selective embolisation of posttraumatic intractable epistaxis]

Idiopathic or trauma-related nose-bleeds can in rare cases be an intractable clinical picture in which normal conservative measures fail. Further therapeutic options that can be applied are surgical vascular ligature or selective endovascular occlusion. We report on a patient who developed hemodynamically relevant epistaxis due to splanchnocranial injuries after falling from his bicycle. Spiral-CT showed a fracture of the posterior nasal septum and of the inferior nasal concha. Despite anterior and posterior nasal tamponade, anemia occurred requiring transfusion and resulting in the interdisciplinary decision to perform transcatheter embolization. Via a trans femoral incision, a 5 F Vitek catheter was introduced into the maxillary artery, and a tracker system was then advanced through the catheter supraselectively and placed in the peripheral branches of the vascular system of the sphenopalatine artery. Selective DSA clearly showed the source of bleeding to be the area supplying the sphenopalatine artery. Following documentation of the localization of bleeding, a total of six (3/30 mm) complex heliacal mini-coils were inserted. After intravascular occlusion of the sphenopalatine artery, bleeding completely stopped within a few minutes. This shows that supraselective embolization is an easily conducted, effective and low-complication method for the definitive treatment of severe posttraumatic nosebleeds, even in emergency situations.