What is cerebral hemorrhage?

Written by Jiang Fang Shuai

Neurosurgery

Updated on September 01, 2024

00:00

00:00

The term "cerebral hemorrhage" usually refers to bleeding caused by non-traumatic rupture of brain blood vessels. The causes include hypertension, arteriosclerosis, amyloid angiopathy, and vascular malformations, among others, often occurring during excessive fatigue, emotional excitement, or strenuous defecation. Clinically, it has a high rate of self-harm, and most survivors suffer from varying degrees of brain dysfunction. Additionally, some cases of cerebral hemorrhage are caused by trauma; the treatment principles and prognosis for these patients are similar to those for non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhages.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Jiang Fang Shuai

Neurosurgery

44sec

home-news-image

Is cerebral hemorrhage dangerous?

Cerebral hemorrhage damages the central nervous system, which is our command center. Once the command center is damaged, a person's respiration, blood pressure, pulse, heartbeat, body temperature, movement, sensation, digestion, and other vital activities will be affected. The common sites for cerebral hemorrhage are in the basal ganglia, cerebrospinal fluid, pons, and cerebellum. These regions are usually important brain functional areas. Therefore, although advanced medical technology is available for treating patients with cerebral hemorrhage, the mortality and disability rates are still relatively high. Cerebral hemorrhage is a dangerous disease.

home-news-image

Written by Tang Li Li

Neurology

55sec

home-news-image

What are the symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage?

Patients with cerebral hemorrhage typically experience sudden headaches during physical activity or emotional excitation as their initial symptom, which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, vomiting can be projectile, consisting of stomach contents. If the patient has stress ulcers leading to bleeding and erosion of the gastric mucosa, they may vomit a coffee-ground-like liquid, which is a mixture of gastric juices and blood. Additionally, patients may also exhibit disturbances in consciousness, such as drowsiness, stupor, or even coma. If the patient is conscious, one may observe hemiplegia or paralysis, sometimes accompanied by speech impairments or psychiatric symptoms. Some patients may also experience epileptic seizures.

home-news-image

Written by Tang Li Li

Neurology

1min 15sec

home-news-image

Is cerebral hemorrhage dangerous?

Cerebral hemorrhage is a type of acute cerebrovascular accident and is quite dangerous. The risk associated with cerebral hemorrhage is directly related to the amount of bleeding and the location of the bleed. Generally, if it is an ordinary lobar hemorrhage and the volume of blood is less than 30 milliliters, the risk is relatively low, and conservative medical treatment may be sufficient. However, if the bleeding exceeds 30 milliliters, there is an indication for surgery. Without surgery, conservative treatment may lead to an increase in hematoma and progressive surrounding edema, which could compress the brainstem, cause brain herniation, and lead to respiratory and circulatory failure, posing a life-threatening risk. Hemorrhages in the brainstem and cerebellum are even more dangerous. The brainstem is the center of vital functions, including the centers for breathing and heart rate. Typically, a bleeding volume exceeding 5 milliliters in the brainstem can lead to patient death. Since the cerebellum is close to the brainstem and might compress it, a bleeding volume exceeding 10 milliliters in the cerebellum often warrants consideration for surgery.

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Jin Chao

Neurosurgery

40sec

home-news-image

What causes cerebral hemorrhage?

Brain hemorrhage is a common problem that can be caused by many phenomena. The most common causes include hypertension and arteriosclerosis, which can lead to the rupture of blood vessels and consequently brain hemorrhage. Other cerebrovascular abnormalities, such as vascular malformations, cavernous angiomas, or intracranial aneurysms can also lead to brain hemorrhage. Additionally, brain tumors that rupture can cause hemorrhage, as can conditions where there are issues with blood coagulation function and poor clotting times. Some patients may experience brain hemorrhage due to cerebral lipoid degeneration, and trauma can also cause brain hemorrhage.

home-news-image

Written by Jiang Fang Shuai

Neurosurgery

1min 15sec

home-news-image

How is cerebral hemorrhage treated?

The treatment for brain hydrocephalus includes conservative medical treatment and surgical intervention. Conservative medical treatment is primarily for patients with a lesser amount of bleeding, using methods such as hemostasis, brain protection, dehydration to reduce intracranial pressure, and maintaining electrolyte balance for symptomatic support treatment. For bedridden patients, it's also necessary to prevent and treat various complications such as pulmonary infections, urinary system infections, and venous thrombosis. Surgical treatment is mainly for patients with a larger volume of bleeding, approximately 30mL of cerebrospinal fluid bleeding, cerebellar bleeding over 10mL, or cerebellar bleeding less than 10mL but causing brainstem compression. Patients with hydrocephalus should actively consider surgery to remove the hematoma. The decision to perform decompressive craniectomy is based on preoperative and intraoperative findings. In some cases, where the brain compression is not severe, or in elderly patients who have poor tolerance for surgery, minimally invasive surgery to remove the hematoma may be considered.