CT Findings and Mortality in Patients with Nontraumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background: Cerebrovascular disease is among the leading causes of death in developed countries. Intracerebral hemorrhage contributes a significant number of these deaths. Objective: To establish the prognostic value of a set of demographic and tomography variables in patients with nontraumatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods: A descriptive case series study was conducted. The sample consisted of patients diagnosed with intraparenchymatous and intracerebral hemorrhage admitted in the General University Hospital of Cienfuegos between May 2006 and April 2007. Clinical records were analyzed. In the case of dead patients the autopsy reports were included. Patients were characterized according to demographic and tomographic variables, considered as risk factors for the type of analyzed hemorrhage. Mortality was determined as well as the behaviour of these variables in such cases. Results: 135 patients were included, being 76.3% of them over 60 years old. There were no differences according to gender. Patients with non-white skin color were predominant. Intracerebral hemorrhage was more common in patients under 60 years old while intraparenchymatous hemorrage predominated in patients from 75 on. Most voluminous hematomas were detected in intracerebral hemorrhage patients (83.3%), as well as hydrocephalus (52.2%). The risk of dying from this type of hemorrhage (94.0%) was higher than from intraparenchymatous hemmorrage (about 81%). Conclusions: The highly contributing factors to mortality were: old age, non-white skin color, hydrocephalus and displacement of midline structures for more than 5 mm.