[Bronchial artery embolization as a treatment for massive hemoptysis. A case report]

A 47 year old male was admitted to the pulmonary medicine department in Landspítali University Hospital following a three day episode of massive hemoptysis but prior to admission he had been suffering from a dry cough for several weeks. Neither bronchoscopy nor a CT scan revealed the cause of bleeding and he was treated for bronchitis. Subsequently the bleeding stopped and he was discharged on Friday for a follow-up bronchoscopy to be performed three days later but only for that study to reveal continued bleeding and he was therefore readmitted. Two days later a selective bronchial arteriography was performed, showing vascular hyperemia and a bleeding site which was treated accordingly with endovascular embolization. Hemoptysis has not recurred on follow-up.