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OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To study the association between history of mild to severe epistaxis with different stages of hypertension and with other evidence of target organ damage in a sample of patients attending an outpatient hypertension clinic, controlling for potential confounding factors. STUDY DESIGN: A survey of adult patients with hypertension. METHODS: A consecutive sample of 323 adults with hypertension was studied. The main outcome measures were history of adult epistaxis, high blood pressure, duration of hypertension, nasal abnormalities, and fundoscopic and electrocardiogram abnormalities. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients (29.1% of the whole sample) reported at least one episode of nosebleed after 18 years of age. Of these, 59 (62.8%) needed medical assistance to control at least one of the episodes. The history of epistaxis was not associated with blood pressure classified according to the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension paradigm or classified as severe or not severe. There was a trend of an association between history of epistaxis and duration of hypertension. The history of severe epistaxis (epistaxis that needed medical assistance) was not associated with blood pressure classified as severe or not severe and with duration of hypertension. More patients with left ventricular hypertrophy had a positive history of adult epistaxis. There was no association between history of epistaxis or history of severe epistaxis and fundoscopic abnormalities. Among the abnormalities detected at rhinoscopy, only the presence of enlarged septal vessels was associated with history of epistaxis. The presence of enlarged septal vessels was strongly and independently associated with history of epistaxis in the logistic regression model. Duration of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy showed a trend for an association with the history of epistaxis in the adult life. CONCLUSIONS: A definite association between blood pressure and history of adult epistaxis in hypertensive patients was not found. The evidence for an association of duration of hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy with epistaxis suggests that epistaxis might be a consequence of long-lasting hypertension. The association between the presence of enlarged vessels at rhinoscopy with history of epistaxis in hypertensive patients is a novel observation that needs to be addressed in future observations.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate whether patients with epistaxis in the emergency department have a higher arterial blood pressure compared with patients with other medical emergencies and to study the association of elevated blood pressure during epistaxis with sustained arterial hypertension. METHODS: In a prospective, cross-sectional, prevalence study we compared arterial blood pressure on admission in the ED in 213 consecutive patients treated for epistaxis with that of 213 sex- and age-matched control subjects. In 33 of those patients with elevated blood pressure during epistaxis, we evaluated the prevalence of sustained arterial hypertension. Main outcome measures were arterial blood pressure during epistaxis and evidence of sustained arterial hypertension, as determined by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement. RESULTS: Patients with epistaxis had significantly higher blood pressure values compared with those of control patients (systolic blood pressure 161+/-30 versus 144+/-22 mm Hg, P<.001; diastolic blood pressure 84+/-19 versus 75+/-15 mm Hg, P <.001). Of 33 (30%) of 108 patients with elevated blood pressure during epistaxis who were further evaluated, 26 (79%) patients were classified as having sustained arterial hypertension. Nine (27%) patients with sustained arterial hypertension were unaware of a history of hypertension. Patients with sustained arterial hypertension had significantly more episodes of epistaxis compared with patients with elevated blood pressure during epistaxis and no sustained arterial hypertension (mean 5 versus 1; P=.004). CONCLUSION: Patients with epistaxis have a higher blood pressure compared with that of control patients. Twenty-six (79%) of 33 patients with elevated blood pressure during epistaxis had sustained arterial hypertension. Nine (27%) of these patients were unaware of a history of hypertension. Continued management of patients with epistaxis and high blood pressure should include confirmation or exclusion of sustained arterial hypertension by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure recording.
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical features, evaluate the incidence of serious complications, and identify factors associated with rebleeding in adults with acute posterior epistaxis. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: University-affiliated community teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: We studied 88 episodes of posterior epistaxis in 81 patients (mean age, 64.3 years; range, 27 to 96 years) who were treated in the emergency department and hospitalized during a 6-year period. Inclusion criterion was active hemorrhage into the posterior pharynx without identifiable anterior bleeding or severe nasal hemorrhage refractory to anterior packing. Patients with anterior epistaxis were excluded. RESULTS: Posterior epistaxis accounted for 5% of all cases of epistaxis. The most common factors associated with posterior epistaxis were a history of hypertension in 39 patients (48%) and previous epistaxis in 30 (37%). Of 57 patients who reported duration of epistaxis, 39 (68.4%) had nasal hemorrhage for less than 12 hours before ED presentation, and 13 patients (22.8%) had nasal bleeding that lasted more than 24 hours. Bleeding was recorded as moderate or severe for 88% of patients. All patients were treated with posterior nasal packing in the ED (73% with traditional gauze packing, 15% with balloon, and 12% with tampon). After admission, 16 patients (19.8%) required surgical intervention, 17 (21%) experienced acute sinusitis, 10 (12.3%) received blood transfusions, and 3 (3.7%) were intubated. Rebleeding occurred in 24 patients (29.6%), with 13 episodes (44.1%) occurring less than 24 hours after admission. Factors associated with rebleeding were posterior epistaxis described as "severe" (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, .88 to 7.39; chi 2 = 2.84, 1 df, P = .92) and pack removal within 48 hours after admission (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, .98 to 9.88; chi 2 = 3.66, 1 df, P = .056). Factors that failed to predict rebleeding included age, prior hypertension, anticoagulant use, vital signs, and type of posterior pack used (gauze or balloon). CONCLUSION: Although posterior epistaxis is an uncommon otolaryngologic emergency, many patients experience clinically significant complications. Rebleeding was associated with severe posterior epistaxis and pack removal within 48 hours after admission.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether an apoptosis of nasal microvessels contributes to probable mechanism of the onset of epistaxis. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Nasal septal mucosa of Little's areas taken from patients without (n = 19) and with (n = 26) epistaxis were examined. Active caspase-3 in the mucosa was detected according to the methods of immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. On Western blot analysis of the homogenates of the mucosa, we also sought probable signaling factors after caspase-3 activation. RESULTS: Marked activation of caspase-3 was detected in the capillaries and its neighboring muscle cells of Little's area from patients with epistaxis, and the activation was due to enhanced expression of procaspase-3 protein and progressive cleavage of the precursor. As a result of Western blotting of signaling factors, enhanced expressions of caspase-9 and Bax protein in the homogenates of Little's area in epistaxis group were found compared with those in control group. Increased levels of cytochrome c released into a cytosol were also detected in the capillaries in epistaxis group. CONCLUSION: In the present study, caspase-3 activation was found in the capillaries of Little's area from patients with epistaxis, suggesting that an apoptosis of capillaries may contribute to a mechanism of the onset of epistaxis. Moreover, alterations of some apoptotic factors such as caspase-9, Bax, and cytochrome c in the tissues demonstrated participation of mitochondrial disturbance in one of the apoptotic mechanisms. SIGNIFICANCE: Further explorations of the pathobiologic mechanism of capillary apoptosis can lead not only to an identification of risk factors in the onset of epistaxis but also to the development of medical therapy of epistaxis.
Epistaxis is the second most common cause of spontaneous bleeding. Of the two categories of epistaxis, mundane and severe, the mundane, usually anterior epistaxis, is the more common. It has been reported that 60% of individuals report at least one episode of epistaxis during their lifetime. Eighty percent of epistaxis occurs in Kiesselbach's plexus, a vascular network in the anterior portion of the nasal septum. We have designed a nasal tampon to control this common variety of epistaxis which is a fast, efficient, and cost-effective method of anterior epistaxis control. The material used in the manufacture of the device (MerocelTM) has been used for over 5 years by the author, both in treatment of severe epistaxis and as a postoperative nasal packing. The design presented here has been used for anterior epistaxis for 18 months without untoward sequelae and with universal success.
BACKGROUND: Epistaxis is a common disease. That is usually self-limited and controlled by extemal compression. However, posterior epistaxis is occasionally complicated and needs hospitalization. The aim of this study is to analyze the etiology of epistaxis that requires hospitalization, and present the results of the treatments. METHODS: From June 1997 to May 1999, 44 patients admitted under diagnosis of epistaxis were retrospectively investigated. Among these patients, 7 were admitted twice for epistaxis. The demographics, administrative history, post-history and associated diseases, treatment and complications were analyzed. Noninterventional treatment comprised of nasal packing and local electrocauterization; interventional treatment included surgery and embolization. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients enrolled was 53.4 years. Men outnumbered women in a rate of 3:1. The mean length for hospital stays was 8.1 days for noninterventionally-treated patients, 11.8 days for interventionally-treated patients. Emergency room visit prior to admission was noted in 68.6% of the patients. Hypertension, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy, a history of nasal operations and smoking were four major associated diseases. The failure rate to control the epistaxis was 26.7% for noninterventional treatments and 16.7% for interventional treatments. The complication rate was 2% for the entire study, and the mortality rate was 7.8%. All the mortal patients were post-irradiation NPC patients with internal carotid artery bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Most epistaxis patients can be managed in a noninterventional manner. Interventional treatment is only warranted in those whose epistaxis persists after adequate noninterventional treatment. For internal carotid artery epistaxis in NPC patients, embolization should be performed as soon as possible.
The purpose of this retrospective study is to document the natural history of epistaxis in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. A telephone questionnaire was administered to 73 patients who had been previously screened for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs). The incidence of epistaxis in this population was 93%, with a mean onset age of epistaxis of 12 years, a mean frequency of bleeding of 18 episodes per month, and a mean duration of bleeding of 7.5 minutes. More than 90% of patients experienced the onset of epistaxis before the age of 21 and symptoms were progressive with age. There were no differences in the age of onset, frequency of epistaxis, or duration of epistaxis between patients with PAVMs versus those without PAVMs. Although the natural history of epistaxis does not predict the presence or absence of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations, epistaxis is an early marker of the disease, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, and might guide screening for pulmonary and cerebral arteriovenous malformations in children of affected parents.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of epistaxis during or after racing among racehorses and identify factors associated with development of epistaxis. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SAMPLE POPULATION: 247,564 Thoroughbred and 4,045 Anglo-Arab race starts. PROCEDURE: Race start information (breed, age, sex, racing distance, and race type) was obtained for Thoroughbred and Anglo-Arab horses racing in Japan Racing Association-sanctioned races between 1992 and 1997. All horses that raced were examined by a veterinarian within 30 minutes of the conclusion of the race; any horse that had blood at the nostrils was examined with an endoscope. If blood was observed in the trachea, epistaxis related to exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) was diagnosed. RESULTS: Epistaxis related to EIPH was identified following 369 race starts (0.15%). Frequency of EIPH-related epistaxis was significantly associated with race type, age, distance, and sex. Epistaxis was more common following steeplechase races than following flat races, in older horses than in horses that were 2 years old, following races < or =1,600 m long than following races between 1,601 and 2,000 m long, and in females than in sexually intact males. For horses that had an episode of epistaxis, the recurrence rate was 4.64%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that frequency of EIPH-related epistaxis in racehorses is associated with the horse's age and sex, the type of race, and the distance raced. The higher frequency in shorter races suggests that higher intensity exercise of shorter duration may increase the probability of EIPH.
A retrospective study of the occurrence of epistaxis in relation to seasonal factors--mean monthly air temperature and atmospheric pressure is presented. During three consecutive years a total of 18 625 patients were seen in the ENT Clinic: 1,357 (7.3%) were suffering from epistaxis (about 38 patients with epistaxis per month). The epistaxis appeared more frequently in men (60.1%), aged from 41 to 60 years (41.3%) The Increased occurrence of epistaxis was related to the low temperature period. The highest occurrence of epistaxis was observed during the cold season--between December and April (from 9.2 to 13.36% of all patients seen per month), suggesting the relationship between epistaxis and infections of the upper respiratory tract. No relation between epistaxis and mean monthly atmospheric pressure was observed.
A 2-year retrospective study (August 1, 1992, to July 31, 1994) reviews medical records of 249 hospitalized epistaxis patients at seven Baltimore-area hospitals. This review represents the first multihospital study of patients hospitalized with epistaxis. The study evaluates multiple factors associated with epistaxis: demographics, underlying medical diseases, use of anticoagulation medication, site of epistaxis, and month of hospital admission. Blood transfusion requirement, hematocrit level, length of stay, treatment, and local/systemic complications are studied as well. The month of hospital admission was evenly distributed without a wintertime predominance, and the mean length of stay was 4 days. Treatment and outcome were similar in all hospitals, and more than 83% of patients responded to packing, balloon placement, local cautery, or a combination thereof. Of the 249 patients reviewed, 30 underwent surgical endoscopic cautery, 3 required formal surgical arterial ligation, and 1 underwent arterial embolization. All 30 endoscopic cauterizations successfully stopped the epistaxis, and this technique proved to be a useful adjunct for patients who required multiple interventions. The review identified a 3% complication rate of epistaxis and its treatment, including synechiae, aspiration, angina, myocardial infarction, and hypovolemia. No deaths were directly attributable to epistaxis or its treatment.
Epistaxis is common in children. Trials show antiseptic cream is as effective as cautery, but it is not known whether either is better than no treatment. We wished to know the efficacy of cream in children with recurrent epistaxis. The design was a single-blind, prospective, randomized controlled trial set in the Otolaryngology clinic in a children's hospital. The participants were 103 children referred by their general practitioner for recurrent epistaxis. Excluded were those with suspected tumours, bleeding disorders or allergies to constituents of the cream. Referral letters were randomized to treatment and no treatment groups. Treatment was antiseptic cream to the nose twice daily for 4 weeks, which was prescribed by the general practitioner before clinic attendance. All children were given an appointment for 8 weeks after randomization. The main outcome measures were the proportion of children in each group with no epistaxis in the 4 weeks preceding clinic review. Complete data were available for 88 (85%) of the children. Of the treatment group, 26/47 (55%) had no epistaxis in the 4 weeks before the clinic appointment. Of the controls, 12/41 (29%) had no epistaxis over the 4 weeks. This is a relative risk reduction of 47% for persistent bleeding (95% CI 9-69%) and an absolute risk reduction of 26% (95% CI 12-40%), giving a number needed to treat of 3.8 (95% CI 2.5-8.5). We conclude that antiseptic cream is an effective treatment for recurrent epistaxis in children.
OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Delayed epistaxis resulting from trauma to branches of the external carotid artery is an infrequent but potentially serious complication of transsphenoidal surgery. We report two cases of severe, delayed epistaxis in patients who had undergone transsphenoidal surgery. In both cases, noninvasive treatment failed, necessitating endovascular intervention. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The first patient, a 52-year-old woman with a prolactinoma, underwent a second transsphenoidal resection 18 months after the first surgery. She was readmitted on postoperative Day 15 with massive epistaxis. The second patient, a 40-year-old woman, had undergone two transsphenoidal surgeries, 14 years apart, for an adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenoma. She was readmitted with massive epistaxis on postoperative Day 17. INTERVENTION: Both patients were initially treated with nasal balloon packing but experienced recurrent hemorrhage when the balloon was deflated, necessitating referral to the interventional radiology department for embolization. At arteriography, the first patient was found to have a pseudoaneurysm of the medial branch of the left internal maxillary artery, which was subsequently embolized. Arteriography in the second patient revealed an abnormally dilated midline branch of the right internal maxillary artery in the nasal septum; this vessel was occluded at arteriography. CONCLUSION: Delayed massive epistaxis is a rare but significant complication of transsphenoidal surgery. Injury to branches of the external carotid artery, along with injury to the internal carotid artery, should be suspected in patients who present with delayed epistaxis after transsphenoidal surgery. Angiography performed in patients with refractory bleeding should include selective external carotid injections. Epistaxis that is refractory to anterior and posterior nasal packing may be effectively treated with endovascular embolization.
Hypertension (HTN) has frequently been cited as a general risk factor for epistaxis. However, studies dealing with this association have yielded equivocal results. In this study, a sample of 121 hypertensives (blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg) was selected to evaluate the association between the severity of HTN and a previous history of epistaxis. Patients with an average blood pressure > or = 160/100 mmHg were classified as suffering from a more severe form of HTN and were compared with those with a less severe form of the disease (160/100 mm Hg < or = blood pressure > or = 140/90 mm Hg). The frequency of epistaxis did not differ among patients categorized by the severity of HTN. Users of aspirin were found to be twice as likely to have a history of epistaxis. In addition, there was a statistical tendency for an association between a history of epistaxis and the duration of hypertension. We conclude that the severity of HTN and a history of epistaxis were not associated in a cohort of hypertensive patients. The identification of other risk factors for epistaxis, including the duration of HTN, deserves further study.
Severe epistaxis following head injury occur from damage to the anterior ethmoidal or sphenopalatine arteries. However, the more massive, life-threatening posttraumatic epistaxis is that arising from ruptured aneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, or tear of the intracranial extradural portion of the internal carotid artery. The authors had opportunities to treat successfully 3 cases of massive delayed epistaxis from the aneurysm of this site following closed head injury. Case 1. A 23-year-old man was injured in a motorcycle accident on April 19, 1968 and taken to an emergency hospital, where the findings were semicomatose state, profuse bleeding from the left nostril and oral cavity, and laceration above the left eye associated with fracture of the left sphenoid. Since regaining consciousness he was blind in the left. Slight localized protrusion of the cavernous portion of the left internal carotid was shown by angiography, which was performed on the next day (Fig. 1). Three days later, he was transfered to Toyokogyo Hospital. On April 29, he had sudden severe epistaxis. The nasal bleeding recurred massively 6 times over 2 months, requiring the replacement of more than 8000 cc of blood. Sixty days after the trauma, carotid angiography demonstrated an large aneurysm arising from the left internal carotid (Fig. 2). The authors were consulted on this occasion. Intra- and extracranial trapping of the internal carotid artery associated with muscle embolization (Jaeger's operation) was performed (Fig. 3). Postoperative course was uneventful except occurrence of temporary diabetes insipidus. Case 2. This 59-year-old man was admitted to our clinic on November 7, 1970, Because of posttraumatic recurrent massive epistaxis. Thirty-seven days before admisstion, he was hitted by a car and lost consciousness. Profuse nasal bleeding occurred immediately after the accident. Despite skin lacereation above the right eye, visual acuity was not distrubed and no fracture line was found. Two weeks after the injury, he had sudden massive bleeding from the right nostril. The epistaxis recurred 5 times over 3 weeks. Carotid angiography revealed an aneurysm arising from the right internal carotid (Fig. 4). The internal carotid was gradually occluded at the cervical level without any neurological complication. Case 3. A 33-year-old man was referred to our department on October 7, 1974, complaining of recurrent profuse bleeding from the oral cavity. About 2 months prior to admission, he fell from the fourth floor on the street and became comatose. Several fracture lines of the frontal bones were found on skull film. Thirty-six days after the accident, sudden severe epistaxis occurred. Massive bleeding from the oral cavity repeated every 7 to 10 days. Visual acuity was lost within 10 weeks. III and VI cranial nerves palsy was found on the both sides. Carotid angiography demonstrated a small aneurysm of the left internal carotid (Fig. 5). Occlusion of the internal carotid at the cervical level stopped bleeding without further neurological deficit...
BACKGROUND: We undertook this study to define the role of angiography and endovascular embolization in the treatment of patients with intractable epistaxis. METHODS: A series of 19 patients with massive intractable epistaxis, all treated with endovascular embolization were reviewed. There were 15 males and four females ranging in age from 18 to 70 years, with a mean age of 38 years. The predisposing factors of intractable epistaxis were head and neck tumors (n = 11), idiopathic symptoms (n = 3), surgical complications (n = 2), arteriovenous malformation of the face (n = 1), thrombocytopenia (n = 1) and trauma (n = 1). Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles and gelfoam plugs were used as embolic agents in 11 patients for devascularization; detachable balloons with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) were used in four patients for vascular occlusion; NBCA and/or coils were used in four patients in the carotid and subclavian arteries for obliteration of pseudoaneurysms. RESULTS: Complete cessation of epistaxis was achieved in all 19 patients immediately after embolization. Seven patients had also undergone surgical tumor removal at two to five days after embolization. Two patients experienced mild to moderate facial pain on the first day after the procedure, but the symptoms later subsided. No significant complication or recurrence was observed in 18 patients. One patient with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma died two weeks after embolization due to another episode of massive epistaxis. Clinical follow-up for these patients was 15 days to eight years, with a mean of 41 months. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic endovascular embolization of intractable epistaxis is both efficient and safe. It should be considered as the primary treatment modality in intractable epistaxis.