What is a Cerebral Hemorrhage?
A cerebral hemorrhage is a type of stroke that involves bleeding within tissues in the brain that can significantly damage or kill blood cells and lead to life-threatening complications. Different types of cerebral hemorrhages are classified by the location of the bleeding, which may occur inside the brain, between the brain and its protective membranes, between the layers of membranes or between the skull and brain coverings.
Causes of Cerebral Hemorrhage
Bleeding from a cerebral hemorrhage may occur as a result of several different causes, including:
- Head injuries
- Ateriovenous malformation (AVM)
- High blood pressure
- Amyloid angiopathy
Head injuries are the most common cause of this condition, especially in patients under the age of 50. Although not as common, other causes may include bleeding disorders, liver disease or aspirin use. Bleeding may occur in premature infants within the fluid filled spaces of the brain, a condition known as intraventricular hemorrhage.
Symptoms of Cerebral Hemorrhage
A cerebral hemorrhage usually triggers an onset of sudden symptoms such as a headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, seizures and a loss of consciousness. Immediate medical attention is required to reduce the risk of permanent damage. Your doctor will likely perform a CT scan or spinal tap to detect bleeding in the skull, as well as the location and severity of hemorrhaging. A custom treatment plan will be determined to stop the bleeding.
Treatment and Surgery for Cerebral Hemorrhage
WARNING: If patients or healthcare providers suspect a cerebral hemorrhage, emergent neurosurgical evaluation is warranted!
Treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage depends on the cause of the condition, but may include surgery to remove or repair any structures within the brain that caused the bleeding, such as an aneurysm or AVM or surgery to simply stop the bleeding with a catheter that widens or closes off affected blood vessels. Medications may be administered to relieve symptoms of seizures, pain and swelling.
At Princeton Neurological Surgery, Dr. Lipani is a board certified fellowship trained neurosurgeon in New Jersey and specialist in the treatment for cerebral hemorrhage such as hemorrhage from brain tumors, AVMs, trauma or other. Dr. Lipani treats patients from around the world as well as locally from Princeton, New Brunswick, Hopewell, Pennington and communities throughout Somerset, Middlesex, Ocean, Burlington, Monmouth, Morris and Mercer Counties for cerebral hemorrhage. Dr. Lipani offers image guided brain surgery and burr hole evacuation (when appropriate) for intracerebral hemorrhage including subdural hematomas, epidural hematomas and intraparenchymal hemorrhage, tailored to the needs of each patient. For state-of-the-art cerebral hemorrhage treatment, call or email us to schedule a consultation at our offices in Hamilton, Bridgewater, or Morristown, New Jersey!
Dr. Lipani’s affiliation with several major New Jersey hospitals means that you will receive the cerebral hemorrhage surgery you need without having to travel to New York or Philadelphia. Dr. Lipani has over 15 years of experience performing brain and spine surgeries, so you can count on him to provide the best possible quality of care to all his patients.