Brain Computed Tomographic Pattern and Clinical Presentation of Patients with Hypertensive Haemorrhagic Stroke at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Stroke or cerebrovascular disease is a clinical syndrome consisting of rapidly developing clinical signs of focal or global neurological deficits lasting more than 24 h or leading to death with no apparent cause other than a vascular origin. Study Aims: This study was aimed at evaluating pattern and clinical presentation of hemorrhagic stroke on brain Computed Tomography (CT) scan in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study carried out between March 2018 and August 2018 on brain computed tomographic findings of 100 patients diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Human Research and Ethics Committee of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Images were acquired using Prime Aquilion Toshiba Japan 2012 160 slice CT machine in the Department of Radiology. The patients’ information and CT findings were recorded on the data capture sheet. Results: Headache was the most common clinical presentation seen in 72% of the patients, followed by dysphasia seen in 58%, followed by vomiting seen in 42%, and the least was convulsion seen in 28% of the patients. The most common site of hematoma was putamen with 54%, followed by thalamus 14%, and the least regions affected were parietal lobe, pons, and frontal lobes with 4% each. Conclusion: Headache was the most common clinical presentation of the patients with hemorrhagic stroke and the most common site of the hematoma was putamen.