Intracranial Hemorrhage
Intracranial hemorrhage means bleeding has occurred inside the skull, either within the brain tissue or surrounding spaces.
When to get help quickly: This is an emergency. Sudden severe headache, new weakness, collapse, seizures, or reduced consciousness needs urgent medical attention right away.
Common symptoms
Symptoms may include sudden severe headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, drowsiness, seizures, slurred speech, or loss of consciousness.
When imaging helps
Imaging helps confirm whether there is bleeding, shows where it is, estimates how large it is, and helps doctors decide how urgent treatment needs to be.
What radiology does
CT is usually the first urgent imaging test because it can quickly show fresh bleeding.
What usually happens next
Treatment depends on the bleed type, size, cause, and symptoms and may involve close monitoring, blood pressure control, reversal of anticoagulation, or neurosurgery.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.