Primary Treatment of Aneurysmal Bone Cyst of the Pelvis by Transcatheter Arterial Embolization

Background: Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) could be treated by curettage, curettage and filler or even by resection. When located in the pelvis, surgery is always associated with excessive bleeding. Selective arterial embolization can be performed in pelvic ABCs as a preoperative procedure to minimize blood loss or could be used as a primary treatment option. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficiency of transcatheter arterial embolization as a definitive treatment for ABCs of the pelvis. Patients and Methods: This is a single centre prospective study of patients from July 2004 to April 2012. Twelve consecutive patients (7 males and 5 females) between the ages of 7 and 36 years (mean age 15 years) with pelvic ABCs underwent superselective transcatheter arterial embolization using poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) microparticles. Results: Technical success of transcatheter arterial embolization was achieved in all cases (100%). There were no post procedure complications. At a mean follow-up of 36 months (range: 6 to 62 months), none of these patients required further surgical procedures. Follow-up radiographs showed bone formation and sclerosis of the lesion as early as 6 weeks. Conclusion: Selective transcatheter arterial embolization is a safe