Differences Between Vascular Structural Abnormality and Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: How the clinical characteristics and prognosis of various types of vascular structural abnormality-related intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) differ from those of hypertensive ICH is poorly understood. This lack of understanding poses a problem for differential diagnosis and prognosis.

METHODS: Patients diagnosed with ICH between January 2012 and February 2014 at 50 tertiary and secondary hospitals in China were enrolled into this prospective cohort study. Patients were classified as having vascular structural abnormality-related ICH or hypertensive ICH, and data on the demographics and clinical characteristics of each group were compared. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore associations while controlling for other risk factors for good outcome and mortality.

RESULTS: Data for 281 patients showed that vascular structural abnormality-related ICH usually occurred in lobar areas and affected patients who were younger and had higher Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores than those with hypertensive ICH. Mortality and good outcome at 3 months after ICH were significantly better among patients with vascular structural abnormality-related ICH (3.4% and 77.2%) than among patients with hypertensive ICH (15.2% and 49.9%, both P < .001). Multivariate logistic regression identified the following independent predictors of mortality: lower GCS score, old age, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, larger hematoma volume, and surgery treatment. The regression also identified several independent predictors of good outcome at 3 months: ICH etiology due to vascular structural abnormality, higher GCS score, younger age, and smaller hematoma volume.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with vascular structural abnormality-related ICH are more likely to experience better clinical outcomes than those with hypertensive ICH. GCS score, age, hematoma volume, and ICH etiology are independent predictors of ICH outcome.