Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage
Key points
- Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the brain caused by high blood pressure.
- Intracerebral hemorrhage can affect any person, regardless of age, sex, or race, but it is most common in older individuals.
- Symptoms vary depending on the extent of damage and the location of the bleeding.
- Neurologic examination may indicate increased intracerebral pressure, such as swelling of the optic nerve or changes in eye movement.
Alternative names
Hemorrhage - intracerebral (hypertensive)
Definition
Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the brain caused by high blood pressure.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Intracerebral hemorrhage can affect any person, regardless of age, sex, or race, but it is most common in older individuals.
Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is caused by chronic high blood pressure (hypertension). When blood pressure has remained high for a significant period of time, blood vessel walls can change in a process called lipohyalinosis. This can lead to blockage of the vessels and leakage of blood into the brain as the constant pressure wears away at the vessels' walls.
Intracerebral bleeding associated with hypertension most commonly occurs in the tissues of the basal ganglia, pons, cerebellum, and deep white matter of the brain. Blood irritates the brain tissues, causing swelling (cerebral edema).
The blood collects into a mass (hematoma). Both the swelling of the brain tissues and the presence of a hematoma within the brain put increasing pressure on brain tissue and can eventually destroy it.
Bleeding may occur into the ventricles of the brain or into the subarachnoid space (the space between the brain and the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain), causing symptoms of meningeal irritation.
Symptoms
Symptoms vary depending on the extent of damage and the location of the bleeding. Symptoms most commonly develop suddenly, without warning, often during activity.
They may occasionally develop in a stepwise, episodic manner or in a progressive manner. There is a rapid loss of function(s) on one side of the body. These symptoms can be the same as when there is insufficient circulation to the brain (stroke).
Symptoms can include the following:
- Vision changes
o Any change in vision
o Loss of vision off to one side
o Decreased vision - Sensation changes
o Numbness, tingling
o Decreased sensation
o Abnormal sensations - Movement changes
o Weakness of any body part
o Difficulty moving any body part
o Loss of fine motor skills - Difficulty speaking or understanding others
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty reading or writing
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.