A 74-year-old woman develops occipital headache, vomiting, and dizziness. She looks unwell, her blood pressure is 180/100 mm Hg, pulse is 70/min, and respirations are 30/min. She is unable to sit or walk because of unsteadiness. Over the next few hours, she develops a decline in her level of consciousness.For the above patient with altered level of consciousness, select the most likely diagnosis.
Cerebellar hemorrhage, when mild, may present with only headache, vomiting, and ataxia of gait. Patients may complain of dizziness or vertigo. The eyes may be deviated to the side opposite the hemorrhage. Nystagmus is not common, but an ipsilateral sixth nerve palsy can occur. This is the only type of intracerebral hemorrhage that commonly benefits from surgical intervention.
basal ganglia hemorrhage
cerebellar hemorrhage
pontine hemorrhage
lobar intracerebral hemorrhage
C.N.S.