A nomogram to predict early hematoma expansion of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage

Early hematoma expansion of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage is affected by various factors. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors and develop a nomogram to predict early hematoma expansion. A retrospective analysis was carried out in patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage admitted to our institution between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018; the patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of early hematoma expansion. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the risk factors of hematoma expansion. The nomogram was developed based on a multivariate logistic regression model, and the discriminative ability of the model was analyzed. A total of 477 patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage and with a baseline hematoma volume <30 ml were included in our retrospective analysis. The hematoma expansion rate was 34.2% (163/477). After multivariate logistic regression, 9 variables (alcohol history, Glasgow coma scale score, total serum calcium, blood glucose, international normalized ratio, hematoma shape, hematoma density, volume of hematoma on initial computed tomography scan, and presence of intraventricular hemorrhage) identified as independent predictors of hematoma expansion were used to generate the nomogram. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.883 (95% confidence interval 0.851–0.914), and the cutoff score was −0.19 with sensitivity of 75.5% and specificity of 87.3%. The nomogram can accurately predict the risk of early hematoma expansion.