Diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage with transcranial ultrasound.

In acute stroke, different sonographic methods can be used to assess structural and hemodynamic compromise. Structural abnormalities of brain parenchyma such as primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and epiphenomena such as midline shift can be detected by native transcranial B-mode ultrasound. Moreover, transcranial Doppler provides a functional approach to intracranial hemodynamics and may assist in predicting ICH growth and global intracranial pressure increase. New ultrasound technologies allow the visualization of ultrasound contrast agents in the cerebral microcirculation. According to recent data, ultrasound perfusion imaging provides additional information for the diagnosis of ICH and may differentiate ischemic from hemorrhagic stroke. This review summarizes the impact of these different transcranial ultrasound methods on diagnosis and monitoring of ICH. Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.