cyanoacrylate + lipiodol

Cyanoacrylate + lipiodol is a combination of a liquid embolic adhesive (cyanoacrylate, most commonly N-butyl cyanoacrylate) and an iodized oil contrast agent (lipiodol). This mixture is used primarily as an endovascular embolization agent to occlude blood vessels in the management of vascular abnormalities such as arteriovenous malformations, bleeding lesions, varices (including gastric and esophageal), and other vascular pathologies. Cyanoacrylates rapidly polymerize upon contact with ionic solutions like blood, forming a solid cast that mechanically blocks the vessel. Lipiodol serves two main purposes in this combination: it provides radiopacity for fluoroscopic visualization during injection and modulates the polymerization rate of cyanoacrylate to allow controlled delivery[1][2][5]. The mixture is injected via catheter or needle under imaging guidance to achieve targeted vessel occlusion. The primary mechanism is mechanical obstruction by rapid in situ polymerization of the adhesive within the target vessel[1][2]. This approach has demonstrated high efficacy and safety for peripheral embolization procedures[2][3], with applications also reported in interventional radiology for aneurysm sac embolization during EVAR procedures[4] and treatment of varicose veins or metastatic liver lesions[6].

Brand names

Lipiodol Ultra Fluid

Other names

N-butyl cyanoacrylate + LipiodolNBCA + Lipiodolglue-lipiodol mixture