Interventional neuroradiology: Henry Ford Hospital experience with transcatheter embolization of vascular lesions in the head, neck, and spine

Innovative developments over the past 15 years have resulted in increased sophistication and effectiveness of therapeutic neuroembolization procedures. As a result, percutaneous transcatheter embolization has assumed an increasingly important role in the management of patients with vascular lesions of the head, neck, and spine. By reducing bleeding during surgery, this technique can markedly facilitate the surgical approach to difficult vascular lesions. The technique may also be applied in cases where surgery is contraindicated. Therapeutic neuroembolization has been performed in 23 patients with vascular lesions of the head, neck, or spine at Henry Ford Hospital. Devascularization of the extraaial blood suply was achieved in all cases, and no neurologic complications were encountered. Eighteen patients with vascular tumors of the head, neck, or spine and three patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVM) were embolized preoperatively, resulting in marked facilitation of the surgical procedures. One patient with a dural AVM and one with a spinal metastasis were embolized without surgery.