Endovascular treatment for traumatic ear bleeding associated with acute epidural hematoma.

A 44-year-old woman presented with intractable ear bleeding after head trauma. Computed tomography showed a longitudinal petrosal bone fracture and a mastoid air cell hematoma with a small acute epidural hematoma. Conservative therapy for more than 12 hours failed to stop the bleeding, so we planned endovascular treatment rather than open surgery. Angiography of the external carotid artery demonstrated continuous extravasation of contrast material from the middle meningeal artery near the fracture line in the temporal bone. Intravascular embolization was performed using polyvinyl alcohol particles and gelatin sponge pieces, resulting in immediate successful hemostasis. Endovascular management should be considered for the treatment of intractable traumatic ear bleeding.