Treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage: the clinical evidences

Of all strokes 10% to 15% are intracerebral hemorrhage, primary ICH accounting for more than 75% of cases. A correct evaluation and management must start in the emergency room, in particular for patients who rapidly deteriorate. The diffusion of organized care for stroke patients and the availability of the stroke units in Italian hospitals, may represent a further opportunity to improve the outcome of patients with ICH. Despite the bulk of evidences coming from the randomized clinical therapeutic trials for acute ischemic stroke, the available data for randomized surgical trials are scanty. In these small randomized studies, neither surgical nor medical treatment has conclusively been shown to benefit patients with ICH. Surgical techniques are improving but it is important to find out the time window during which surgical evacuation is most effective with respect to the long-term outcome. The use of thrombolytic therapy to promote the resolution of ventricular blood clots appears to be promising.