A 54 year-old woman with a long history of hypertension presented with transient numbness of the left side.

Gradient echo (GE) T2-weighted MRI: note the numerous small dot-like hypointense lesions, an indicator of prior microbleeds (MBs). MBs are strongly associated with intracerebral haemorrhage, hypertension, lacunar stroke and ischemic small vessel disease, and have generated interest as a marker of bleeding-prone microangiopathy.

The development of MRI sequences that are highly sensitive to the detection of blood-breakdown products has led to a growing number of studies characterizing the occurrence of MBs in various populations. These studies have demonstrated that MRI evidence of MBs is seen in 33% to 80% of patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhages, in 21% to 26% of patients with ischemic stroke, and in 5% to 6% of asymptomatic or healthy elderly individuals.

Revised 05/17/06.
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