Brainstem haematoma due to presumed cryptic telangiectasia.

Three patients with primary brainstem haematoma are reported. The clinical presentation suggested an initial diagnosis of pontine tumour in two and demyelination in one patient. The subacute course is characteristic of brainstem haematoma due to presumed cryptic telangiectasia, the abnormal vessels being destroyed by the haemorrhage. These findings emphasise the importance of considering haematoma due to cryptic telangiectasia in the differential diagnosis of subacute brainstem lesions.