Angiography in the diagnosis and management of extracranial vascular lesions of the head and neck.

The angiographic features of various lesions of the head and neck are presented. Angiographically, cavernous hemangiomas display large venous lakes with calcified phleboliths. Arteriovenous malformations reveal massive tumor stain with well delineated feeding vessels from multiple systems. Chemodectomas and juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are clearly vascular with homogenous tumor staining in the capillary phase. Angiography of cavernous hemangioma, AVM, chemodectoma, and angiofibroma is diagnostic and may preclude the need for tissue biopsy. Angiographically neurilemmomas are less vascular with non-homogenous tumor stain. Carcinomas are typically avascular. The use and benefits of arterial embolization in the management of these lesions is presented.