Site of bleeding and early outcome in primary intracerebral hemorrhage

Objectives - To describe the influence of the site of the bleeding on clinical spectrum and early outcome of patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Material and methods ICH was diagnosed in 229 (11%) of 2000 consecutive stroke patients included in a prospective stroke registry over a 10-year period. Frequency of demographic variables. risk factors. clinical events. neuroimaging data, and early outcome (until hospital discharge) according to different sites of bleeding was assessed. Each topography of the bleeding (independent variable) was compared with the remaining ICH cases by means of logistic regression analysis. Results - In the multivariate analysis, sensory deficit was significantly associated with ICH in the thalamus, lacunar syndrome and hypertension with ICH in the internal capsule-basal ganglia; seizures, non-sudden stroke onset, and hypertension with lobar ICH ataxia and sensory deficit with ICH in the cerebellum: cranial nerve palsy with ICH in the brainstem, and limb weakness. diabetes. and altered consciousness with multiple topographic involvement. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 31%, but this varied from 65% for multiple topographic involvement, 44% for intraventricular ICH, and 40% for ICH in the brainstem to 16% for ICH in the internal capsule-basal ganglia. Conclusion - These data show the heterogeneous clinical profile of ICH, but they also suggest a difference in the clinical spectrum and in-hospital mortality according to the site of bleeding.