Selective arterial embolization in orthopaedic pathology. Analysis of long-term results

9 patients with tumorous and tumor-like skeletal lesions are examined; the patients were treated by selective arterial embolization, therapeutic, adjuvant and palliative, with follow-up ranging from 2 to 10 years. For therapeutic purposes 12 cases were constituted by aneurysmal bone cyst of large size and which was difficult to treat surgically (pelvis: 5; spine: 3; limbs: 4). For the purposes of assisting the excision procedure, selective arterial embolization was used in 2 patients with giant cell tumor of bone, the first localized in the right iliac wing and the second in the sacrum; in one patient with retroperitoneal teratoma and in 1 with hemangiopericytoma of the soft tissues of the thigh. Furthermore, in 3 patients with inoperable multiple bone metastasis, selective arterial embolization was used in order to relieve pain as palliative SAE. The authors emphasize that complete healing of aneurysmal bone cyst is possible, with no recurrence after more than 10 years; they also stress the role played by selective arterial embolization as an adjuvant particularly in the pre-surgical treatment of large giant cell tumor of bone.