Stroke due to brain haemorrhage

Approximately one in seven strokes is caused by bleeding in the brain.

Most strokes are caused by a blockage in an artery leading to the brain (ischaemic stroke). However, approximately 15% of strokes are caused by bleeding. These are known as haemorrhagic strokes.

There are two main types of haemorrhagic stroke: bleeding around the brain (called subarachnoid haemorrhage) and bleeding in the brain (called intracerebral haemorrhage). The main cause of subarachnoid haemorrhage is an aneurysm, which may be treated by endovascular coiling or surgery. The main cause of intracerebral haemorrhage is high blood pressure. Most patients are treated with medication to lower their blood pressure, and very occasionally they have brain surgery.

Related research

The 'Research to Understand Stroke due to Haemorrhage' (RUSH) programme at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, is led by Professor Rustam Al-Shahi Salman. The RUSH programme is dedicated to better understanding the causes and outcome of intracerebral haemorrhage in adults, leading to clinical trials of interventions to improve outcome.

RUSH webpages