Hypertensive thalamic hemorrhage: analysis of short-term outcome

Abstract

Background: Hypertension is the main cause of intracerebral hemorrhage with a thalamic location frequency that varies from 6% to 26.5%.Objective: We aimed to identify clinical and radiological features that could impact the short-term prognosis in patients with hypertensive thalamic hemorrhage (HTH).Methods: Consecutive patients presenting to a tertiary referral hospital with HTH were analyzed from 2010 to 2014. Clinical features at emergency department and a 30-day outcome using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were obtained.Results: A total of 104 patients were studied (53 women, mean age 68.2 years, range 27–91 years), 91 (87.5%) of them with hypertension history. Mean hemorrhage volume was 12.2 mL (range 2–45 mL), without significant differences according to gender or age group. Irruption into the ventricular system occurred in 79 (76%) cases. Thirty-day mortality was 38.5% and occurred with a higher frequency in men, in patients with GCS <8, intraventricular irruption, ventriculostomy, and intracerebral hemorrhage volumes >15 mL.Conclusions: Although HTH is associated with relatively small hemorrhage volume, it had a higher frequency of ventricular irruption and bad prognosis at short-term.