title: Emergency arterial embolization of upper gastrointestinal and jejunal tumors: An analysis of 12 patients with severe bleeding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to retrospectively assess the efficacy of emergency percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization in patients with severe bleeding due to upper gastrointestinal or jejunal tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients (7 men, 5 women; mean age, 74 years±14 (SD); range: 54-86 years) with severe bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract, with failed endoscopic treatment not eligible for emergency surgery were treated by emergency percutaneous transcatheter arterial embolization. The bleeding cause was gastric tumor in 7 patients, duodenal tumor in 4 patients and jejunal tumor in one patient. Procedure details and follow-up were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve embolization procedures were performed using various embolic agents. Embolization was achieved and bleeding was stopped in all patients. Five patients underwent surgery within the 30 days following embolization. In the remaining 7 patients, no bleeding occurred at 1 month follow-up in 6 patients and bleeding recurred in one patient at 1 month. In this later patient, endoscopic treatment was successful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our study suggest that transcatheter arterial embolization is safe and effective in patients with severe arterial bleeding due to upper gastrointestinal or jejunal tumor. In some patients, transcatheter arterial embolization can be used as a bridge to surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda ospedaliera SS Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Via Venezia 16, 15137 Alessandria, Italy. Electronic address: zandrino@libero.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zandrino
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda ospedaliera SS Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Via Venezia 16, 15137 Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tettoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda ospedaliera SS Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Via Venezia 16, 15137 Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gallesio
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Azienda ospedaliera SS Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo, Via Venezia 16, 15137 Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Summa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000792:Angiography; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007580:Jejunal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Arterial; Embolization; Gastrointestinal bleeding; Hemorrhage; Interventional radiology