Haemorrhagic

Haemorrhagic describes processes or conditions in which bleeding occurs. The term is used across medicine and pathology to indicate the presence of blood outside vessels, in tissues, cavities, or body spaces, or a tendency to bleed.

In neurology, haemorrhagic stroke refers to bleeding into brain tissue or surrounding spaces, as opposed to ischemic stroke. Subtypes include intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage. Common causes include hypertensive vascular disease, ruptured aneurysms, trauma, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Symptoms vary but may include sudden headache, weakness, speech or vision disturbance, and impaired consciousness.

In infectious disease, haemorrhagic fever denotes viral illnesses characterized by fever and bleeding manifestations due to vascular damage and coagulopathy. Examples include dengue haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, and yellow fever in certain contexts.

Haemorrhagic diathesis is a broader concept describing an abnormal tendency to bleed from minor injuries, due to coagulation factor deficiencies, platelet disorders, disseminated intravascular coagulation, liver disease, or medications such as anticoagulants. Management targets the underlying cause and control of bleeding.

In pathology, haemorrhagic describes lesions or necrosis with haemorrhage, such as haemorrhagic necrosis in organs or tissues, and in radiology one may speak of haemorrhagic effusion or haematoma.

Spelling and usage: haemorrhagic is the British spelling; hemorrhagic is common in American English. The term is often paired with adjectives specifying the site or severity (e.g., haemorrhagic stroke, haemorrhagic fever).