Sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy: An important cause of cerebral hemorrhage in the elderly

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is an important cause of primary intracerebral hemorrhage (PICH) in the elderly. Although there are no pathognomic clinical features of CAA-related PICH, the association of white matter changes with lobar, recurrent, or multiple simultaneous hemorrhages in older patients should raise the suspicion of its diagnosis. A definitive diagnosis of CAA requires pathologic examination of the affected tissue. However, with modern imaging techniques, it is possible to diagnose the “probable CAA” in patients presenting with PICH. Gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging is a very sensitive, noninvasive technique for identifying microhemorrhages in life. The diagnosis of CAA is important because of the likely implication it has on future management targeted to reduce risk of future bleeding.