Hemorrhagic stroke

Alternative names:

stroke - hemorrhagic

Symptoms:

Stroke symptoms include:

• weakness or total inability to move a body part
• numbness, loss of sensation
• tingling or other abnormal sensations
• decreased or lost vision, (may be partial, may be temporary)
• eyes (pupils different sizes)
• eyelid drooping (ptosis)
• language difficulties (aphasia)
• inability to recognize or identify sensory stimuli (agnosia)
• loss of memory
• vertigo (abnormal sensation of movement)
• dizziness
• loss of coordination
• swallowing difficulties
• personality changes
• mood and emotion changes
• urinary incontinence (lack of control over bladder)
• lack of control over the bowels
• consciousness changes:
  • sleepy
  • stuporous/somnolent/lethargic
  • comatose or unconscious

Signs and tests:

Examination may indicate increased intracranial pressure. Eye examination may show abnormalities of movement, or changes may be seen in the retinal examination (examination of the back of the eye). Reflexes may be abnormal in extent, or abnormal reflexes may be present.

Tests may include:

• CBC
• platelet count
• bleeding time
• prothrombin/partial thromboplastin time (PT/PTT)
• liver function tests
• kidney function tests
• CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) examination (may show evidence of blood)

Hemorrhagic stroke may be confirmed, and the location and amount of bleeding and brain tissue damage determined, by:

• head CT scan
• head MRI