Progressive bleeding in spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage.

Progressive bleeding is uncommon in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. We describe two cases of spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage with evidence of active bleeding or rebleeding detected by noncontrast CT. The first patient was a 47-year-old man with a history of hypertension and cocaine abuse. The second patient, a 73-year-old man, had no valuable risk factors. It is noteworthy that most well-documented instances of continued bleeding or rebleeding in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage occur in the thalamus. The natural evolution of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage after the first hours of stroke remains to be elucidated.