Spontaneous intra.cerebral hemorrhage: A retrospective study of risk factors and outcome in a Turkish population

Abstract

Background and Purpose:Stroke, which remains the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in developed countries, is a disorder causing permanent neurologic disability. Even though, hemorrhagic strokes are seen less than the ischemic type, they are more fatal. We studied the risk factors for spontaneous intra-cerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to direct the proper preventive treatment modalities and the effects of these factors on mortality as well as applied therapeutic strategies on survival.Materials and Methods:The archive records of 106 patients (60 male, 46 female) who were diagnosed with spontaneous ICH in Baskent University Hospital, Ankara, between January 2003 and September 2008, were assessed retrospectively.Results:The mean age was found as 62.5. The most frequent risk factor was hypertension (73.5%); 69.2% of these hypertensive patients had uncontrolled blood pressure levels. The mortality rate was detected as 34.9% and patients were found to die approximately within 9 days after ICH. Older age, increased hemorrhage volume, ventricular extension of hemorrhage, and the presence of midline shift were found to significantly correlate with increased mortality (P < 0.05). Patients who underwent surgical therapy showed a longer survival rate (P = 0.016); however, no association was found between medical and surgical therapy in terms of mortality (P = 0.555).Conclusion:The results of this study suggest that effective control of blood pressure is important in the prevention of spontaneous ICH; clinical and radiological findings with treatment modalities influencing mortality should be carefully managed.