Overview of Hemorrhagic Stroke

ByAndrei V. Alexandrov, MD, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center;
Balaji Krishnaiah, MD, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Reviewed/Revised Jun 2023
VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION

    Hemorrhagic strokes include bleeding within the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage) and bleeding between the inner and outer layers of the tissue covering the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage).

    (See also Overview of Stroke.)

    Most strokes are caused by a blockage of blood flow to part of the brain causing death of brain tissue (ischemia). Such strokes are called ischemic strokes. Only about 20% of strokes are caused by hemorrhage.

    There are two main types of hemorrhagic strokes:

    Other disorders that involve bleeding inside the skull include epidural hematomas and subdural hematomas, which are usually caused by a head injury. These disorders cause symptoms that sometimes resemble those of a stroke.

    Bursts and Breaks: Causes of Hemorrhagic Stroke

    When blood vessels of the brain are weak, abnormal, or under unusual pressure, a hemorrhagic stroke can occur. In hemorrhagic strokes, bleeding may occur within the brain, as an intracerebral hemorrhage. Or bleeding may occur between the inner and middle layer of tissue covering the brain (in the subarachnoid space), as a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

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