Definition:
Hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding within the brain, which damages nearby brain tissue. See also:
Alternative Names:
Brain bleeding; Brain hemorrhage; Stroke - hemorrhagic; Hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel bursts inside the brain. The brain is very sensitive to bleeding and damage can occur very rapidly. Bleeding irritates the brain tissue, causing swelling. Bleeding collects into a mass called a hematoma. Bleeding also increases pressure on the brain and presses it against the skull. Hemorrhagic strokes are grouped according to location of the blood vessel: Hemorrhagic stroke is most often due to high blood pressure, which stresses the artery walls until they break. Other causes of hemorrhagic stroke include: - Aneurysms, which create a weak spot in an artery wall, which can eventually burst
- Abnormal connections between arteries and veins, such as an arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
- Cancer, particularly cancer that spreads to the brain from distant organs such as the breast, skin, and thyroid
- Cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a build up of amyloid protein within the artery walls in the brain, which makes bleeding more likely
- Conditions or medications (such as aspirin or Warfarin) that can make you bleed excessively
- Illicit drugs, such as cocaine
References:
Zivin JA. Hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 432.
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