Cerebral hemorrhage

A cerebral hemorrhage (also spelled haemorrhage; also known as a cerebral hematoma) is a type of intracranial hemorrhage (intracranial hematoma) that occurs within the brain tissue. It is alternatively called intracerebral hemorrhage. It can be caused by brain trauma, or it can occur spontaneously in hemorrhagic stroke. Non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage is a spontaneous bleeding into the brain tissue and may be caused by increased exertion, tension or stress.

A cerebral hemorrhage is an intra-axial hemorrhage; that is, it occurs within, rather than outside, the brain tissue. The other category of intracranial hemorrhage is extra-axial hemorrhage, such as epidural, subdural, and subarachnoid hematomas, which all occur within the skull but outside of the brain tissue. There are two main kinds of intra-axial hemorrhages: intraparenchymal hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhages. As with other types of hemorrhages within the skull, intraparenchymal bleeds are a serious medical emergency because they can increase intracranial pressure, which if left untreated can lead to coma and death. The mortality rate for intraparenchymal bleeds is over 40%.