OBJECTIVETo discuss the effective emergency treatment to patients with different malignant tumors of head and neck after treatment.

METHODSEighteen hemorrhage patients which have been successfully rescued with different malignant head and neck neoplasias after operation and (or) radiotherapy were analyzed retrospectively. Emergency treatment was used in 1 patient with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) suffering from massive epistaxis and suffocation after radiotherapy. The digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was used in 6 patients suffering from rupture of internal maxillary artery after irradiation for NPC. Two cases suffering from ulcer bleeding from deep par of pars nasalis pharyngis underwent repair of galea aponeurotic after elotomy. Hemostasis by finger pressing and per-cutsem ligation of carotid were used in 9 patients who suffered from rupture of carotid artery, then underwent normal treatment in operating room.

RESULTSLigation of carotid artery was used in one patient with NPC after radiotherapy suffering from bleeding from arteria carotis interna of skull base. DSA was used in 6 patients with hemorrhage of nasopharynx who was confirmed rupture of internal maxillary artery by CT and DSA. Two cases suffering from ulcer bleeding from deep par of pars nasalis pharyngis underwent repair of galea aponeurotic; pectoralis major myocutaneous flap and infra-trapezius were used in 7 patients with laryngocarcinoma, carcinoma of infra-pharynx, thyroid carcinoma and lymphadenoma of cervical part, 6 cases of them were successful while 1 patient's pectoralis major myocutaneous flap partly necrosis. One patient with thyroid carcinoma who can not be repaired after many operations and radiotherapies. One patient with lymphoma of cervical part also can not be repaired because bad body condition. All cases have no hemiplegic paralysis after first aid. One cases with NPC suffering from massive epistaxis that after ligation of carotid artery suffered from partly cerebral infarction and died of pulmonary infection 6 months postoperatively; 2 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma died of recurrence 11 months postoperatively; other cases died of recurrence (7 cases), metastasis and/or multi organic failure of the whole body (8 cases) from 12 to 36 months.

CONCLUSIONDifferent treatments were used in different cases, The DSA and per cutsem Ligation of artery after hemostasis by finger pressing were the modus operandi for NPC patients with intractable epistaxis after radiotherapy and patient suffered from rupture of carotid artery respectively.