Endovascular management of carotid blowout syndrome.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate success, complications and efficacy for endovascular management for carotid blowout syndrome.

METHODS

Images were evaluated for contrast extravasation, vessel wall irregularity, pseudoaneurysm/aneurysm formation. Hemostatic results in the immediate postprocedural period and procedure related infarcts were assessed.

RESULTS

Total of 20 lesions in 21 patients were detected on digital subtraction angiography (DSA). In a case of esthesioneuroblastoma with active bleeding, DSA failed to show vascular abnormality. There was active contrast extravasation in 7 cases. Treatment modalities included covered stent placement (n = 3), pseudoaneurysm/aneurysm embolization (n = 4), parent artery occlusion (n = 13) and PVA injection (n = 1) in the immediate postoperative period was achieved in all except one case. During the post-procedural period, 6 patients (28.6%) suffered from cerebral ischemia. Rebleeding episodes were encountered in 10 cases (47.6%) after a mean duration of 35 days which responded to tamponade in 4 cases. Diagnostic DSA was performed in 5 of the cases, which failed to identify bleeding source in 2 and remaining 3 cases were treated by endovascular means. A case with massive hemorrhage 1-hour after endovascular treatment died before any intervention could be performed.

CONCLUSION

Endovascular treatment can achieve immediate hemostasis to prevent otherwise a highly morbid and mortal complication. However, rebleeding rates are high and cerebral ischemia with or without neurologic deficit occur in a non-negligible percentage of patients.