Intracranial hemorrhages resulting from chronic arterial hypertension:

A. Most often originate in the basal ganglia

C. Can present as an enlarging cerebellar mass.

DISCUSSION: The most frequent site of a hypertensive hemorrhage is the basal ganglia. Blood may appear in the spinal fluid after the hemorrhage has dissected through the brain parenchyma into the cerebral ventricles. Approximately 10% of hypertensive hemorrhages originate in the cerebellum. Rapid removal of a cerebellar hemorrhage can be life saving.