Transcatheter embolization with sodium tetradecyl sulfate. Experimental and clinical results.

Sodium tetradecyl sulfate (Sotradecol), which has been employed for sclerotherapy of varicose veins, was evaluated in dogs and humans as an agent for selective arterial embolization. In dogs, intraarterial injection of Sotradecol 3% into the proximally occluded renal, hepatic, splenic, and deep femoral arteries produced arterial occlusion and tissue destruction. Transcatheter embolization with Sotradecol was performed in 11 patients and was successful in 10; in the remaining patient, failure was attributed to rapid dilution by unobstructed blood flow in arteriovenous malformations of the neck. The authors conclude that Sotradecol is a safe and efficient agent for selective arterial embolization.