title: Spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage in children: aetiology, presentation and outcome.
abstract: We are aware of only few reports addressing spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (SICH) in non-selected series of children. This is a retrospective analysis of clinical presentation and outcome in 34 children with SICH seen in the period 1990-2000 in our hospital. Traumatic, neonatal and subdural haemorrhages were excluded. The majority (47%, 16/34) of SICH was caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). SICH was presented as an acute event in 53% (17/32) of patients. Forty-seven percent (15/32) of the cases had protracted courses, which made the diagnosis difficult. In our series, younger children had less specific symptoms. Mortality (25%, 8/32) and morbidity were considerable, particularly in infratentorial haemorrhages, in aneurysms, in children younger than 3 years and in those with underlying haematological disorders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Paediatric Neurology, University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Meyer-Heim
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boltshauser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000150:complications; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed