Coil embolization in ruptured inferior thyroid artery aneurysm with active bleeding

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Interventional Radiology
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Tracheostomy is a common procedure for airway management in critically ill patients.
• Hemorrhage is a rare but serious complication during tracheostomy.
• Aneurysms of the inferior thyroid artery are uncommon vascular lesions.

Observation:

• A 69-year-old female patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage and pneumonia required tracheostomy.
• Massive bleeding occurred during the tracheostomy procedure.
• Angiography identified an 8-mm inferior thyroid artery aneurysm as the source of bleeding.

Findings:

• Urgent parent arterial embolization was performed for the inferior thyroid artery aneurysm.
• The procedure involved superselecting the parent artery and occluding the aneurysm with a single coil.
• Successful embolization was achieved, controlling the hemorrhage.

Implications:

• Parent arterial embolization is an effective treatment for inferior thyroid artery aneurysms presenting with acute hemorrhage.
• This technique offers a minimally invasive option for managing life-threatening bleeding during tracheostomy.
• Prompt diagnosis and endovascular intervention can lead to favorable patient outcomes in complex surgical scenarios.