[Percutaneous occlusion of arterial vessels using permanent embolization for the treatment of an air sac hemorrhage in horses. A case report].

This article reports a case of guttural pouch bleeding which was managed successfully by using intravascular embolisation systems to occlude the damaged vessels. Percutaneous catheterisation of the common carotid artery allowed angiographic visualisation of the main head arteries: A. carotis externa, A. carotis interna and A. occipitalis, which showed no abnormalities angiographically. Originating from the A. occipitalis, one artery sent smaller, extensively branching and tortuous vessels to the guttural pouch area. This branching was interpreted as a sign of inflammatory hypervascularization. The artery was occluded by positioning of a detachable balloon distally of the origin of the two small vessels. Insertion of two coils in the A. occipitalis proximally of the origin of this artery completed the embolisation. Occlusion of the distal part was necessary to avoid blood supply to the lesion from the contralateral arterial system via the circle of Willis. The technique used allowed occlusion of a selected head artery without direct surgical intervention in this area. There is no need to remove the implants. After catheterisation, no more episodes of epistaxis occurred. The causing diphtheroid inflammation in the guttural pouch was treated by local infusions of iodine-solutions and resolved completely within 24 days.