Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) represents one of the most severe forms of stroke with high morbidity and mortality; however, effective treatment options to significantly improve patient outcome do not exist so far.
Objective: This review article evaluates the most recent developments in acute ICH treatment.
Material and methods: Analysis and interpretation of currently available evidence regarding ICH treatment, focusing on the most important studies from the last 3 years.
Results: Hematoma enlargement, perhaps the most important prognostic factor, should be counteracted by aggressive blood pressure management (targeted systolic pressure 140 mm Hg). In cases of ICH under oral anticoagulation, inhibition of coagulation must be immediately antagonized: vitamin K antagonists with prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC), idarucizumab for dabigatran and andexanet if available or high-dose PCC for factor Xa inhibitors. Currently, surgical treatment strategies, both open and minimally invasive, to evacuate the hematoma can currently not be routinely recommended. In patients with intraventricular ICH, treatment with intraventricular fibrinolysis with or without additional lumbar drainage represents a promising treatment option.
Conclusion: In recent years, several randomized controlled and observational studies have generated robust evidence regarding ICH treatment; however, there is still no single breakthrough intervention, which significantly improves patient functional outcome. Nevertheless, the sum of various, possibly interacting treatment concepts may potentially improve outcome after ICH.
Keywords: Anticoagulants, oral; Blood pressure; Drainage, lumbar; Fibrinolysis, intraventricular; Intracerebral hemorrhage, treatment outcome.