Combat-Related Posttraumatic Headache: Diagnosis, Mechanisms of Injury, and Challenges to Treatment

Results: The rate of concussion, defined by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Working Group on the Acute Management of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Military Operational Settings, was 95%. The rate of PTSD, as determined either with the PTSD Checklist or by confirming a prior diagnosis by another healthcare provider, was 97.9%. Both rates are remarkably higher than rates reported in the literature. The most common mechanisms of injury were proximity to blast (18 [45.2%]) and direct target of blast (15 [35.7%]). The most common treatment challenges were overuse of headacheabortive medications (10 [23.8%]) and poor patient followup (7 [16.7%]). Conclusion: Physicians should be aware that the rates of PTSD and concussion for US soldiers, most often linked to involvement in or proximity to a blast, are higher for soldiers complaining of chronic headache. Physicians should also be aware of the potential for overuse of medications in this patient population.