Maldonado-Armijos et al. (2026)
Palabras claves: epistaxis posterior; pseudoaneurisma; arteria esfenopalatina; embolización;
angiografía; hemorragia; cirugía ortognática; trauma facial.
Abstract
Background: Sphenopalatine artery (SPA) pseudoaneurysm is an exceptional but potentially life-
threatening cause of massive or recurrent posterior epistaxis. It has been described after facial
trauma, endonasal/transsphenoidal and orthognathic procedures, and less commonly after
oncologic treatment, radiation, or spontaneously. Objective: To synthesize the clinical
presentation, etiologic context, diagnostic work-up, treatment, and outcomes of published cases
of epistaxis associated with SPA pseudoaneurysm. Methods: A systematic review was conducted
through August 30, 2026 using MEDLINE/PubMed, OpenAlex, publisher/journal searches, and
backward/forward citation tracking. Case reports and case series were eligible when an SPA
pseudoaneurysm was demonstrated by imaging/angiography and epistaxis was clinically
documented. Non-SPA lesions, arteriovenous fistulas without a pseudoaneurysmal component,
isolated arterial rupture without pseudoaneurysm, and reports without a documented epistaxis
phenotype were excluded. Reporting quality was examined with the JBI Critical Appraisal
Checklist for Case Reports. Results: Twenty-six publications comprising 31 patients were
included. Orthognathic/craniofacial surgery was the most frequent context (12/31; 38.7%),
followed by facial trauma (8/31; 25.8%) and transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (5/31; 16.1%).
Among 26 patients with reported age, the median was 29 years (range 13–90). In 22 cases with
quantifiable timing, the median interval to clinically relevant bleeding was 13 days (range 4–63).
The typical presentation was unilateral, delayed or recurrent posterior epistaxis, often resistant to
nasal packing. Digital subtraction angiography was the definitive modality in most reports and
enabled treatment during the same session. Endovascular treatment was attempted in 30/31
patients (96.8%) and provided definitive hemostasis in 28/31 (90.3%); three patients ultimately
required surgical control. No death attributable to the pseudoaneurysm or its treatment was
identified among cases reporting outcomes. Conclusions: Recurrent or massive posterior
epistaxis after trauma or surgery involving the pterygopalatine region should trigger early
suspicion of SPA pseudoaneurysm. CTA can facilitate localization in stable patients, but selective
angiography remains the key diagnostic-therapeutic modality. Superselective embolization is the
dominant treatment strategy in the published literature, while surgery remains an important rescue
option when embolization fails, is contraindicated, or is unavailable.
Keywords: posterior epistaxis; pseudoaneurysm; sphenopalatine artery; embolization;
angiography; hemorrhage; orthognathic surgery; facial trauma.
tabique posterior de la cavidad nasal;
1
. Introducción
por ello constituye un objetivo
fundamental tanto en la cirugía de
epistaxis como en la terapia
endovascular [3,4].
La epistaxis posterior representa una
urgencia otorrinolaringológica de
mayor complejidad que el sangrado
anterior por su localización profunda,
el mayor flujo arterial y la dificultad
para obtener control directo. La
arteria esfenopalatina (AEP), rama
terminal de la arteria maxilar,
atraviesa el foramen esfenopalatino
y aporta una porción sustancial de la
irrigación de la pared lateral y el
Un
pseudoaneurisma
aparece
cuando una solución de continuidad
de la pared arterial permite que la
sangre quede contenida por tejidos
perivasculares y una cápsula fibrosa,
manteniendo comunicación con la
luz del vaso. A diferencia de un