Internal bleeding can occur in any part of the brain. Blood may build up in the brain tissues, or in the space between the brain and the membranes that cover it.
The bleeding may only be in 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:
Abnormalities of the blood vessels (aneurysm or vascular malformation)
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 nearby brain tissues and can quickly destroy them.
Other factors that raise the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage include the following:
Premature infants (born earlier than 35 weeks) will sometimes have bleeding into the fluid-filled spaces (ventricles) in the brain. This type of bleed is called intra-ventricular hemorrhage (IVH). This occurs in the first day or so of life and is usually not preventable.
Symptoms
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 pattern, or they may get worse over time.
Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage is type of stroke in which there is bleeding in the brain due to high blood pressure. See also: Deep intracerebral hemorrhage; Hemorrhagic stroke; Intracerebral hemorrhage. Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 09/13/2008
Deep intracerebral hemorrhage (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Deep intracerebral hemorrhage is a type of stroke due to bleeding within the deep structures of the brain. These structures include the thalamus, basal ganglia, pons, and cerebellum. See also: Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage; Intracerebral hemorrhage. Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 09/13/2008
Lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Lobar intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the largest part of the brain called the cerebrum. Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 09/13/2008
Hemorrhagic stroke(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding within the brain, which damages nearby brain tissue. See also: Cerebral aneurysm; Deep intracerebral hemorrhage; Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage; Intracerebral hemorrhage; Lobar intracerebral hemorrhage; Subarachnoid hemorrhage. Reviewer: Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/16/2008
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