ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the survival benefit of the bronchial arterial embolization (BAE) for patients presenting with non-traumatic hemoptysis. METHODS: The clinical data were retrospectively collected from the medical records and the Order Communicating Systems (OCS). The information dealing with death was collected from national death certificates. After enrolled patients were divided with two group such as BAE group (patients who were managed with BAE) and non-BAE group (patients who were managed with conservative modality), the survival benefit of BAE was estimated during the observational period of 24 months through using the Kaplan-Meier survival graph and the Cox-proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: The number of total cases was 272. Of these, BAE group involved 63 and non-BAE group involved 209. 69 cases had the malignant pulmonary lesions, 149 cases had non-malignant chronic lung lesion such as the mycobacteria infection, fungus ball, or bronchiectasis (BE), and 54 cases had the other pathologic conditions. For each sub-groups such as 'malignant lung lesion' group, 'non-malignant chronic lung lesion' group as well as about all cases, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of BAE for death was not significantly different compared to the conservative management. But the adjusted HRs as to underlying causes such as 'malignant lung lesion' group and 'the other conditions' group increased significantly compared to 'non-malignant chronic lung lesion' group. CONCLUSION: There was no significant survival benefit by BAE procedure on survival in patients presenting with non-traumatic hemoptysis.