Bilateral Lingual Artery Embolization to Control Massive Oral Bleeding That Leads to Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

Oral cavity structures receive abundant perfusion from the branches of the external carotid artery. Although hemorrhage is a common complication of oral cancer, bleeding from a cancerous mouth can be a devastating event in the emergency department. Lingual artery embolization is a minimally invasive interventional radiology procedure that has rarely been reported in the literature. This case involves a patient with tongue cancer who experienced massive oral bleeding leading to cardiac arrest. Fortunately, the patient was successfully resuscitated, and spontaneous circulation was restored. Diagnostic angiography confirmed the presence of pseudoaneurysm in the lingual artery. Ultimately, bleeding was definitively controlled through bilateral lingual artery embolization. This case underscores the critical importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving emergency physicians, otolaryngologists, and interventional radiologists in managing complex vascular lesions in the head and neck. Furthermore, it contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of embolization techniques as a valuable tool in the management of vascular lesions in the head and neck region.

Keywords

• lingual artery embolization
• oral bleeding
• tongue cancer