Effectiveness of coil embolization in angiographically detectable versus non-detectable sources of upper...

To determine whether the effectiveness of arterial embolization in patients with acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is related to the visualization of contrast medium extravasation at angiography.

Transcatheter embolization was performed in 108 patients who experienced acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage during a 5-year period. Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-six patients who underwent embolization after angiography demonstrated active contrast medium extravasation from an involved artery. Seventy-two patients underwent embolization in the absence of contrast medium extravasation into a bowel lumen. Embolization technique, requirement for further blood products, need for further surgery, and 30-day mortality were recorded.

The gastroduodenal artery (GDA) was embolized in 26 of the 36 patients (72%) with extravasation, and the left gastric artery was embolized in 10 (28%). The GDA was embolized in 64 of the 72 patients (89%) without extravasation, and the left gastric artery was embolized in 13 (18%). After embolization, 23 of the 36 patients (64%) with extravasation and 44 of the 72 (61%) without extravasation required additional blood product transfusions. Seven of the 36 patients (19%) with extravasation and 16 of the 72 (22%) without extravasation required subsequent surgery secondary to bleeding. Thirty-day hemorrhage-related mortality was 17% (six of 36 patients) in the positive extravasation group and 22% (16 of 72 patients) in the negative extravasation group. The treatment success rate was 44% (16 of 36 patients) in the positive extravasation group and 44% (32 of 72 patients) in the negative extravasation group.

In patients with acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, arterial embolization is equally effective in patients who demonstrate active contrast medium extravasation at angiography as in those who do not show contrast extravasation.