Medical and surgical management of intracerebral hemorrhage

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 10–20% of all strokes [1, 2], with an estimated 37, 000 patients affected each year in the United States [3]. It is more than twice as common as subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is more likely to result in death or major disability than ischemic stroke or SAH [4]. Each year, more than 20, 000 Americans die from ICH and an estimated 7000 operations are performed in the United States for evacuation of ICH [5]. Despite available guidelines for medical and surgical treatment of ICH [6], management varies greatly throughout the world [5].