Anticoagulant-related intracerebral hemorrhage

Twenty-four patients had intracerebral hemorrhage while they were being treated with anticoagulants. Hypertension was present in 67% of the cases, head trauma was an uncommon preceding event, and simultaneous bleeding in other organs occurred in only one instance. Neurologic abnormalities progressed for several hours in 58%. Seizures occurred at onset in 12.5%. The location of the hemorrhage was as follows: cerebellum (nine cases), lobar white matter (six), basal ganglia (five), thalamus (two), and hemisphere, unspecified (two). In 61%, the hemorrhages occurred within 6 months of therapy. In 75%, the prothrombin time was beyond 1 1/2 times the control value. Mortality was 62.5%. Survivors had smaller hematomas than did patients with fatal hemorrhage.