The effect of cerebral microbleeds on prognosis in intracerebral hematomas and analysis of risk factors

• Main Authors: Yıldız Arslan, Asena Ahen, Hilal Şahin, Ufuk Şener, Figen Tokçuoğlu, Yaşar zorlu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkish Society of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2017-12-01
• Series: Türk Beyin Damar Hastalıkları Dergisi
• Subjects: intrecerebral hematomas; microbleeds; prognosis; risk factors
• Online Access: https://www.journalagent.com/tbdhd/pdfs/TBDHD-50470-RESEARCH_ARTICLE-ARSLAN.pdf

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral microbleeds (CMB) are hypointense lesions detected in T2 gradient ECO sequences, smaller than 5 mm in diameter, and are sensitive to blood-degradation products such as hemosiderin. We investigated the effects of CMK on hematoma volume and prognosis in patients with intracerebral hematoma. METHODS: Fifty patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who underwent gradient EKO and SWI sequences and hospitalized in neurology clinic between 2012 -2016 were included. Patients with surgical intervention, aneurysm hemorrhages, and subarachnoid, subdural, and epidural hemorrhages were excluded. Hematomas due to hypertension and unknown etiology were included. Hospitalization duration, NIHSS scores at admission and discharge, vascular risk factors, use of antithrombotic and anticoagulants were recorded. RESULTS: 27 patients had foci of microbleeds, and 23 patients did not have any. Female /Male ratio was 19/31. The mean age of those with microbleeds was 67.07 ± 12.64, and those without microbleeds was 65.65 ± 14.65. Hematoma localizations were determined as lobar (n: 19), basal ganglion (n: 15) and thalamus (n: 10) respectively. Sixteen had subcortical and 11 had cortical localization of CMB. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We suggested that CMB has no significant effect on prognosis and is independent of HT, DM, smoking and antithrombotic or anticoagulant therapy. There was no correlation between hematoma localization and existence of CMBs. Hematoma volumes were similar in both groups. There was no difference between groups in terms of CMBs’ localization. Although it was concluded that CMB had no effect on hematoma prognosis and not affected by other risk factors, studies are needed to elucidate their etiology with large group prospective randomized trials.