Spontaneous cerebral haemorrhage in a young weight lifter: A case report and a review of current literature

Abstract

Introduction: Intracranial haemorrhage is the leading cause of death related to a head trauma in sports, and spontaneous cerebral bleedings are a very rare condition in young athletes. Aim: We propose the case of a young weight lifter, androgenic anabolic steroids abuser, who developed a spontaneous massive intracranial haemorrhage during exertion. Case report: The patient was a weight lifter at a competitive level, who had exercised on a regular basis for the past 5 years, assuming anabolic steroids and proteins for some years. Moreover, he referred a negative family history for spontaneous bleeding in the brain. At the visit time he presented very high blood pressure values. Results and discussion: In this case report, the side of the cerebral lesion was typical for a hypertensive brain damage. High blood pressure values, and the alteration of sodium and potassium were compatible with hyperaldosteronism; moreover, cardiac ultrasound assessment showed a hypertrophic ventricle condition, secondary to a chronic untreated hypertension. Conclusions: The chronic use of anabolic steroids could contribute to hypertensive complications, such as intracranial haemorrhages.