Recurrent hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhages: what should we do when a new hemispheric ischaemic event strikes?

Hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage is usually a once in a lifetime event and recurrences are rare. Most recurrences usually develop within 2 years of the first event and the majority usually target the basal ganglia and thalami. Failure of blood pressure control is the most important, potentially preventable, culprit behind the development of primary intracerebral haemorrhages. However, the occurrence of a recurrent bleed in patients with optimally controlled hypertension should always prompt the physician to think of a new co-operating factor. We report on a 60-year-old hypertensive woman who developed right-sided thalamic haemorrhage 5 days after sustaining a lacunar infarct of the left thalamus for which she had been prescribed a dual antiplatelet therapy: aspirin and clopidrogrel. She had a history of two bilateral sequential hypertensive deep cerebellar haemorrhages which were developed 2 years ago.