Partition of calibrated tris-acryl gelatin microspheres in the arterial vasculature of embolized nasopharyngeal angiofibromas and paragangliomas.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the location of calibrated tris-acryl gelatin microspheres (TGMs) in the arterial vasculature of nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (NAFs) and paragangliomas (PGs).

METHODS

Forty-nine specimens (25 PGs and 24 NAFs) treated operatively after embolization with TGMs of various sizes (100-300 microm to 900-1200 microm) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin saffron and analyzed at an objective magnification of 10 or 20 with a micrometric eyepiece (magnification, x12.5). The diameter of occluded vessels, their localization (intra- or extratumoral), and the number and diameter of TGMs they contained were determined.

RESULTS

Embolized vessels (N = 1125) were measured: 440 in PGs and 685 in NAFs. Vessels were 89% intratumoral and 11% extratumoral. The diameter of the occluded vessels increased significantly with the size range of TGMs used for embolization for each tumor type (P < .0001). Intratumoral occluded vessels were significantly smaller than extratumoral vessels (P < .0001). Distribution of TGMs within the vascular network (intratumoral or extratumoral location) were similar for NAFs and PGs. The intratumoral and extratumoral dissemination of TGMs was different when comparing 100-300-microm TGMs versus 500-700-microm TGMs (P = .0006) as well as 300-500-microm TGMs versus 500-700-microm TGMs (P = .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The size of the vessels occluded by TGMs and their intra- or extratumoral location directly depend on the size of the injected TGMs. The vessels located inside the tumors were smaller than those located outside the tumors. A threshold for the intratumoral penetration of TGMs in the vasculature can be proposed from these data. There was no evidence of different behavior of TGMs in NAFs versus PGs.