Abstract
In 1928 Seiffert (Berlin) described an effective method of controlling nasal bleeding by ligation of the maxillary artery. A trans-antral approach was used to open the pterygopalatine fossa and expose the maxillary artery. During a 4-year-period from 1970, this method was employed by us successfully in 25 cases, 26 sides, to control nasal bleeding with only one failure. The surgical techniques, indications, results, advantages and disadvantages of this method are discussed and the literature is reviewed.
Histopathological examination of resected specimens of the ligated maxillary artery from 1 1 clinical cases and from 10 randomly selected cadavers was also performed. In the clinical cases, those with mild to moderate nasal bleeding showed only thickening of the intima of the artery, whereas in severe cases of nasal bleeding marked disruptions of the tunica elastica of the intima and calcification and hyaline degeneration of the medial coat were found. In the specimens from cadavers, arteriosclerotic changes consistent with age, such as disruptions of the tunica elastica and calcification of the intima and media were seen.
