Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Excerpt

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), a subtype of stroke, is a devastating condition whereby a hematoma is formed within the brain parenchyma with or without blood extension into the ventricles. Non-traumatic ICH comprises 10-15% of all strokes and is associated with high morbidity and mortality.

ICH risk factors include chronic hypertension, amyloid angiopathy, anticoagulation (medication), and vascular malformations. The resultant brain injury is often classified as primary, this being the initial damage to the parenchyma by the blood clot, secondary, or the damage caused by complications from intracranial blood.

Management of ICH ranges from medical therapy to open surgery to actively evacuate the hematoma, with studies still being held to find less invasive therapies to improve prognosis.