Clinical and radiological features of intracerebral haemorrhage in hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical and radiological features of intracerebral haemorrhage in hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a descriptive case series, carried out prospectively over a period of 6 months at, department of neurology, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi. Hypertensive patients > 25 years of age, presenting with features of stroke and verified by either CT scan or MRI brain as having intracerebral haemorrhage, were included. Clinical and radiological features were identified. Atotal of 100 patients were included in the study. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 10.0. RESULTS: There were 62% males and 38% females. Mean age was 56 +/- 12 years. Diabetes mellitus was present in 30% and ischaemic heart disease in 26% patients. Of all, 28% were smokers. Hemiparesis or hemiplegia (78%) was the commonest presenting feature followed by speech dysfunction (60%). Headache and vomiting were present in 20% and seizures in 9% cases. Basal ganglia (55%) was the commonest site of bleed followed by thalamus (26%), cerebral hemispheres (11%), brain stem (8%) and cerebellum (7%). CONCLUSION: Hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage was more common in males as compared to females in our study. Hemiparesis and speech disturbances were frequent presenting features. The commonest site of bleeding was basal ganglia followed by thalamus and cerebral hemispheres.