title: Multiple systemic infarctions as a complication of bronchial artery embolization with polyvinyl alcohol: a case report.
abstract: Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) is a widely used modality of treatment for massive hemoptysis which has well known complications such as chest pain, groin hematoma and transverse myelitis but systemic embolization of the material used in the procedure is very rare and was reported only four times in the literature which were all caused by the use of microspheres. Herein we report a case of a 41-year-old caucasian male who had a history of tuberculosis 10 years ago. He had BAE with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for the treatment of recurrent hemoptysis. After the procedure, the patient complained of severe pain on the left upper quadrant and bilateral costovertebral regions and in abdominal CT, multiple infarcts in the subcapsular area of the spleen and kidneys were observed. This is the first reported case of inadvertent systemic embolization secondary to BAE with PVA. Although the risk of systemic embolization is greater with microspheres, still potentially serious and life threatening complications may occur with PVA.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Bronchial artery emobolization; Complication; Polyvinyl alcohol.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkok
authors.forename: Ayse Serra
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ucar
authors.forename: Timur Selcuk
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Akpinar
authors.forename: Gulfer
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Okumus
authors.forename: Esen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kiyan
authors.forename: Orhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arseven