Primary brain stem haemorrhages: clinico-radiological considerations on five cases observed.

Five patients with primary brain stem haemorrhage are reported, of whom four survived. One died from complications involving other organs. The diagnosis was made by computerized tomography which also allowed the temporal evolution of the lesion to be followed. The importance of haemorrhagic lesions in brain stem vascular pathology with regard to ischaemic lesions is re-evaluated.