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A 54 year-old man with a history of hypertension developed weakness affecting the left face, arm and leg. On examination, he had a pure motor hemiparesis. The admitting diagnosis was lacunar stroke. |
| Very Small Basal Ganglia (Putamen/Internal Capsule) Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Axial CT scans. Note the small intracerebral hemorrhage located in the posterior limb of the internal capsule on the right, extending slightly into the putamen. Before the advent of CT scans, intracerebral hemorrhages were thought to always be catastrophic neurological events. However, small hemorrhages can mimic ischemic strokes. This underscores the need to obtain a CT scan in every stroke patient to exclude the possibility of hemorrhage, especially before antiplatelet therapy or anticoagulation is considered. |
Revised
11/29/06.
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston.