Lobar hemorrhage in the elderly. The undiminishing importance of hypertension.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We sought to determine whether hypertension is less common in primary lobar hemorrhage than intracerebral hemorrhage in other locations and whether the frequency of hypertension in lobar hemorrhage diminishes with advancing age. METHODS: We identified all cases of intracerebral hemorrhage in Greater Cincinnati during 1988 by review of hospital and autopsy records as well as computed tomographic and magnetic resonance scans. RESULTS: During 1988, 66 primary lobar hemorrhages occurred, constituting 46% of all intracerebral hemorrhages in those under 75 years of age and 34% in those age 75 and older. A history of hypertension was present in 67% of patients with lobar, 73% of those with deep, 73% of those with cerebellar, and 78% of those with pontine hemorrhages. Left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 21% of patients with lobar, 27% of those with deep, and 47% of those with pontine/cerebellar hemorrhages. The frequency of hypertension in patients with lobar hemorrhage did not decrease with advancing age. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of all intracerebral hemorrhages that are lobar does not increase with advancing age. Hypertension is nearly as common in primary lobar hemorrhage as in deep, cerebellar, and pontine hemorrhages, and its importance as an associated condition for lobar hemorrhage does not diminish with advancing age.