Hemorrhagic stroke

A hemorrhagic stroke develops when a blood vessel (artery) in the brain leaks or bursts (ruptures). This causes bleeding:

• Inside the brain tissue (intracerebral hemorrhage).
• Near the surface of the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage or subdural hemorrhage). A common cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage is the rupture of an aneurysm.

Hemorrhagic strokes are not as common as strokes caused by a blood clot (ischemic strokes). However, hemorrhagic strokes cause death more often than ischemic strokes.¹ See the difference between an ischemic stroke and a hemorrhagic stroke.

Author:	Douglas Dana Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: May 14, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine Richard D. Zorowitz, MD - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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