Intracranial hemorrhage can result from trauma or spontaneously from stroke caused either by extreme hypertension or by a rupture of a cerebral aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. It is a medical emergency because of the increased intracranial pressure, which can displace or damage brain tissue. The diagnosis is based on imaging studies such as CT and MRI scanning.
There are two main types of intracranial hemorrhages: Intraaxial hemorrhage is bleeding within the brain itself, and includes intracerebral hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhage. These tend to be more difficult to manage. Extraaxial hemorrhage is bleeding that occurs inside the skull but outside of the brain, and includes epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, and subarachnoid...