Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage in young patients from a Comprehensive Stroke Care Unit in MENA region, Hospital Based Study.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have been reported on ICH in young age patients at Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). It is thought that epidemiological, radiological characteristics, and neurological outcomes differ in young age patients from those of the elderly. Our study’s aim is detection of the difference between them as regard clinic-radiological characters, functional outcome, and its predictors. METHODS: All patients with spontaneous ICH were divided into two groups, young adults (≤ 50 years) and old adults group (> 50 years). All clinic-radiological data were collected. The patients were classified into four categories (probable CAA, Hypertensive, Vascular and Undetermined). One-month mortality and functional outcome (using mRS) were determined. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the predictors of favorable functional outcome. RESULTS: Prospective study was conducted on 300 patients, 91 patients of them were young (30.3%). Hypertension, Diabetes mellitus, Hyperlipidemia, previous CVS, higher NIHSS, lower GCS and previous medications of antiplatelet or anticoagulant were more common in old age group with statistically significant difference (P value: <0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, 0.006, < 0.001, < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). Vascular cause and undetermined cause were more in young age. Young group had better outcome as regard functional outcome and one-month mortality (74.7% versus 35.9% with p value: <0.001, 8.8% versus 28.7% with p value: <0.001, respectively). GCS and NIHSS are predictors of functional outcome. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous ICH in young adults has different demographic, clinical and radiological findings with better One-month mortality and favorable functional outcome. GCS and NIHSS are predictors of functional outcome.