[Management of severe epistaxis caused by so-called vascular or hypervascular tumors]

The authors begin by recalling the various tumoral conditions responsible for severe epistaxis. They differentiate between: angiomas and pseudo-tumoral angiomatous formations, vascular or so-called vascular tumours and hypervascularized tumours. In an emergency, immediate tamponage is essential. Treatment is also preventive: a gentle clinical examination and biopsies in the operating theatre. Particular stress should be laid on the contribution of super-selective arteriography which enables embolization to be carried out during the investigation. Embolization is particularly advocated, notably in cases of naso-pharyngeal fibroma, when there is a tumoral projection obstructing the pterygo-maxillary fossa or when there is considerable vascularization stemming from a branch of the external carotid other than the internal maxillary. Whatever the situation, any embolization, if it is to be permanently effective should be followed within 48 to 72 hours by surgical excision.