Internal bleeding can occur in any part of the brain. Blood may accumulate in the brain tissues itself, or in the space between the brain and the membranes covering it. The bleeding may be isolated to part of one hemisphere (lobar intracerebral hemorrhage) or it may occur in other brain structures, such as the thalamus, basal ganglia, pons, or cerebellum (deep intracerebral hemorrhage).
An intracerebral hemorrhage can be caused by a traumatic brain injury or abnormalities of the blood vessels (aneurysm or angioma). When it is not caused by one of these conditions, it is most commonly associated with high blood pressure (hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage). In some cases, no cause can be found.
Blood irritates the brain tissues, causing swelling (cerebral edema). It can collect into a mass called a hematoma. Either swelling or a hematoma will increase pressure on brain tissues and can rapidly destroy them.
Symptoms vary depending on the location of the bleed and the amount of brain tissue affected. The symptoms usually develop suddenly, without warning, often during activity. They may occasionally develop in a stepwise, episodic manner or they may get progressively worse.
Other factors that raise the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage include the following:
Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is type of stroke involving bleeding in the brain caused by high blood pressure. See also: Hemorrhagic stroke. Reviewer: Daniel Kantor, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/07/2006
Deep intracerebral hemorrhage (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Deep intracerebral hemorrhage is a type of stroke caused by bleeding within the deep structures of the brain (thalamus, basal ganglia, pons, and cerebellum. Reviewer: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/14/2006
Lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Lobar intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the largest part of the brain called the cerebrum. Reviewer: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/14/2006
Hemorrhagic stroke(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding within the brain, which damages nearby brain tissue. See also: Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage; Intracerebral hemorrhage. Reviewer: Daniel Kantor, MD, Director of the Comprehensive MS Center, Neuroscience Institute, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 09/10/2006
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