Intracerebral hemorrhage in young people: analysis of risk factors, location, causes, and prognosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The frequency of intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) in people aged </=40 years has been poorly studied. We investigated the incidence, causes, locations, and prognosis of ICH in young patients.

METHODS

We evaluated all consecutive patients with neuroimaging evidence or pathological confirmation of symptomatic ICH. We excluded patients with primary subarachnoid or traumatic hemorrhage, past evidence of vascular malformation, or brain tumor. We analyzed the risk factors, number, locations, and causes of ICH, and final outcome measured by the modified Glasgow Outcome Scale.

RESULTS

We retrospectively evaluated 200 patients (mean age, 27 years; range, 15 to 40 years). The most frequent risk factors were tobacco use (20%), hypocholesterolemia (35%), hypertension, (13%), and alcohol use (10%). The locations of ICH were lobar (55%), basal ganglia/internal capsule (22%), and others (24%). The most common causes of ICH were vascular malformations (49%), including cavernous angioma, and hypertension (11%). Cryptogenic ICH was considered in 15%. Other causes included cerebral venous thrombosis (5%) and sympathomimetic drug use (4%). The majority of patients with ICH that resulted from hypertension were aged >31 years (odds ratio, 3.48), and those with ICH that resulted from arteriovenous malformations were aged <20 years (odds ratio, 2.80). The final outcome was considered favorable in 60%.

CONCLUSIONS

ICHs in young people are mainly lobar in location and result from vascular malformation. Hypertension causes most cases in which the ICH is located in the basal ganglia. Mortality and morbidity in the acute phase are low and are related to hypertension as the cause of ICH.