Morphologic and histopathologic changes in the bowel after super-selective transcatheter embolization for focal lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety of superselective arterial embolization therapy in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The sequelae on normal enteric tissue in lower gastrointestinal arterial embolization were retrospectively reviewed.


METHODS
To control hemorrhage and tumor blood supply, 14 patients were treated by superselective transcatheter embolization at different levels of the colonic and small intestine vessels via the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries using microcoils and/or gelatin sponge. Normal enteric tissues in the embolized areas were analyzed for the occurrence of ischemic changes by clinical follow-up, colonoscopy, and surgery.


RESULTS
Normal bowel function was preserved in 13 patients. In 1 patient treated with numerous gelatin sponge particles delivered from the proximal arcade of the superior mesenteric artery, significant muscular fibrosis occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Superselective arterial embolization for lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage can be safely performed by minimizing the amount of embolic materials and delivering them as distally as possible.
Horiguchi
J
J
Department of Radiology, Division of Medical Intelligence and Informatics, Programs for Applied Biomedicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Japan. horiguch@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Naito
A
A
Fukuda
H
H
Nakashige
A
A
Ito
K
K
Kiso
T
T
Mori
M
M
D003106:Colon / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies