To evaluate the technical and clinical success of embolisation in patients with lifethreatening spontaneous retroperitoneal haematoma (SRH) and to assess predictors of clinical outcome.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients (mean age: 71.9AE9.8 years) with SRH underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA). All patients received anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication or a combination of both at the time the SRH occurred.RESULTS: Pre-interventional computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed active retroperitoneal bleeding in 28 of 30 (93.3%) patients. DSA identified active haemorrhage in 22 of 30 patients (73.3%). Twenty-nine of 30 (96.7%) patients underwent embolisation. n-Butyl-2cyanoacrylate (NBCA) was used in 15 patients (51.7%), coils were used in 10 patients (34.5%), and both embolic agents were used in four patients (13.8%). The technical success rate was 100%. Pre-interventional haemoglobin levels increased significantly after embolotherapy from 70.9AE16.1 g/l to 87AE11.3 g/l (p<0.001), whereas partial thromboplastin time decreased from 58AE38 to 30AE9 seconds (p<0.001) after embolotherapy. The need for transfusion of concentrated red cells decreased from 3AE2.2 to 1AE1.1 units (p<0.001) after the intervention. Clinical success was achieved in 19 of 29 (65.5%) patients. No major procedure-related complications occurred. Seven patients (24.1%) died within 30 days after the procedure.CONCLUSION: Embolotherapy in patients with life-threatening SRH leads to a high technical success rate and is a safe therapeutic option. The clinical success rate was acceptable and

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