Transcatheter arterial embolization for iatrogenic bleeding after endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreaticobiliary drainage

Diagn Interv Imaging. 2018 Nov;99(11):717-724. doi: 10.1016/j.diii.2018.06.006. Epub 2018 Jul 20.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of massive bleeding after endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural pancreaticobiliary drainage (EUS-TPBD) and the clinical outcomes in patients with this condition treated with transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE).

Patients and methods: We performed a 9-year retrospective analysis of 797 EUS-TPBD procedures (excluding gallbladder or pseudocysts) in 729 patients. Among them, twelve (12/729, 1.65%) patients were referred for TAE to manage active bleeding adjacent to the TPBD sites. There were 8 men and 4 women with a mean age of 66.1 years±13.4 (SD) (range: 45-89 years). The clinical and procedure data of these 12 patients were reviewed.

Results: Thirteen TAE procedures in 12 patients were performed. The bleeding sites were the left hepatic artery (n=7), the right hepatic artery (n=3), the left gastric artery (n=1), the left accessory gastric artery (n=1) and gastroduodenal artery (n=1). TAE was performed with gelatin sponge particles (n=1), coil (n=1) and n-butyl-2 cyanoacrylate with/without coils (n=11), with technical and clinical success rates of 100% (13/13) and 85% (11/13), respectively. Re-bleeding following embolization with gelatin sponge particles occurred in one patient. Procedure-related ischemic hepatitis was observed in another patient with pancreatic cancer with portal vein involvement.

Conclusion: On the basis of our results, TAE using n-butyl-2 cyanoacrylate seems safe and effective for the treatment of bleeding after EUS-TPBD procedures. When the portal vein is compromised, TAE of the hepatic artery can cause ischemic liver damage.

Keywords: Endoscopic ultrasonography; Gastrointestinal hemorrhage; Therapeutic arterial embolization (TAE).

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arteries
  • Bile Duct Diseases / complications
  • Bile Duct Diseases / surgery*
  • Catheterization
  • Drainage / methods*
  • Embolization, Therapeutic / methods*
  • Endosonography*
  • Female
  • Gallbladder Diseases / complications
  • Gallbladder Diseases / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Iatrogenic Disease
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pancreatic Diseases / complications
  • Pancreatic Diseases / surgery*
  • Postoperative Hemorrhage / epidemiology
  • Postoperative Hemorrhage / therapy*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome