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

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.