Subacute Late Intracerebral Hemorrhage - Case 1

A 55 year-old man presented with focal seizures affecting the left side of his body.


                 Note the Bright Signal on T1                                                Note the Bright Signal on T2

Subacute Late Intracerebral Hemorrhage: (Left) T1-weighted axial MRI; (Right) T2-weighted axial MRI. Note that on the T1-weighted scan, there is an area of hyperintense signal in the right posterior frontal lobe. The same area on the T2-weighted scan is also bright.

This is the characteristic picture of a subacute late (7-14 days) hemorrhage on MRI. The hyperintense signal on both T1- and T2-weighted scans is the pattern seen with extracellular methemoglobin. In this case, the hemorrhage was due to a small venous angioma that bled.

The findings of blood on MRI are complex and depend on timing. To learn more, review the powerpoint slide show, Blood on MRI: Time-dependent Changes.

Revised 11/11/06.
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston.