Cerebral amyloid angiopathy causing intracranial hemorrhage.

Ten cases of sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) were seen as intracranial hemorrhage. CAA was seen as a stroke or catastrophic intracranial hemorrhage in all cases. CAA complicated by intracranial hemorrhage carried a high mortality; 9 of 10 patients died in spite of aggressive medical or surgical treatment. Senile dementia of Alzheimer's type was an associated finding in only 1 patient. Computed tomographic scanning in 4 patients initially was not diagnostic for hemorrhage. Lambda chains and amyloid P protein were demonstrated in the areas of amyloid angiopathy immunocytochemically. The pathogenesis of hemorrhage in CAA could be either increased fragility of amyloid-laden blood vessels or rupture of microaneurysms. Surgical treatment of intracranial hemorrhage in CAA should therefore be undertaken with caution.