Embolization of benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors of the extremities

To reveal the effectiveness and reliability of preoperative, curative, and palliative embolization of benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors of the extremities.

Diagnostic angiography was performed on 35 patients (14 females, 40%; 21 males, 60%) between 6 and 70 years of age (mean, 32 years) who were referred to our digital subtraction angiography (DSA) unit between March 2000 and March 2004, and had extremity bone or soft tissue tumors. Among 17 patients who were initially assessed to be appropriate for angiographic embolization, DSA-assisted intra-arterial embolization was performed on 11 pre-operatively, and 6 curatively or palliatively. Effectiveness of the procedure was evaluated using imaging modalities, including angiography, X-ray, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging as well as with post-operative findings.

Among the 11 patients that underwent pre-operative embolization, 10 showed a significant reduction in intra-operative and early post-operative bleeding. Additionally, manipulation and excision of the tumors during surgery were easier as a result. Partial or full remission occurred in 3 of 6 patients that underwent lesion embolization. Two other patients had surgical procedures after finding their lesions had increased in size. In one patient with stable lesion size, cranial metastasis was discovered later.

Pre-operative, palliative, and curative selective/superselective intra-arterial embolization is an effective and potentially developing method for benign and malignant, hypervascularized bone and soft tissue tumors of the extremities, when it is performed by an experienced team with proper embolizing agents.