Angiography and embolization of the internal maxillary artery for posterior epistaxis

Epistaxis that originates from the posterior aspect of the nasal cavity is most often due to hemorrhage from one of the branches of the internal maxillary artery. There are multiple methods of treatment of this problem that vary in effectiveness, complexity, and stress on the patient. Most cases are controlled with either packing or surgical arterial ligation, but occasionally patients either cannot tolerate this therapy or continue to hemorrhage. We describe ten patients who were referred to the Neuroradiology Section of the Massachusetts General Hospital from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary for angiography and embolization of the internal maxillary artery for epistaxis.