OBJECTIVE To evaluate the factors that influence the outcome of bronchial arterial embolisation (BAE) in chronic tuberculosis (TB). In cases of chronic TB, non-bronchial systemic arteries (NBSA) provide a significant source of massive or recurrent haemoptysis.

DESIGN Medical records and radiological findings of 30 consecutive TB patients who underwent BAE were retrospectively analysed and compared with those of 19 bronchiectasis patients.

RESULTS Chronic TB patients had higher numbers of total feeding vessels (4.40 + or - 3.85 vs. 1.79 + or - 1.51, P = 0.007) and NBSA (1.57 + or - 1.63 vs. 0.42 + or - 0.61, P = 0.005) than the bronchiectasis patients. The number of embolisations required for obliterating feeding vessels (3.87 + or - 2.48 vs. 1.95 + or - 1.47, P = 0.004), and the incidence of incomplete embolisation (30% vs. 5.3%, P = 0.033) were also higher in the TB patients. Moreover, recurrence after BAE was more frequent in the TB patients (17/30, 56.7% vs. 5/19, 26.3%, P = 0.037). Male sex, past history of haemoptysis and incomplete embolisation during BAE were associated with higher recurrence of haemoptysis in chronic TB patients. The existence of a fungus ball or significant pleural thickening (> or =10 mm) was not found to influence the recurrence rate of haemoptysis.

CONCLUSION The haemoptysis recurrence rate was higher in chronic TB than in bronchiectasis; this was found to be related to incomplete feeding vessel embolisation.