[Chronic post-traumatic headache after mild head injuries].
Current evidence indicates that chronic post-traumatic headache (cPTH) has organic causes. Nevertheless, these patients are considered as neurotics or malingering by health professionals, mainly if the headache originates from mild head injuries (MHI). Our aim was to identify the features of cPTH after MHI. We studied 27 consecutive patients fulfilling the criteria established for cPTH and MHI. Headache began on the same day of the trauma in 51.8% of patients. The clinical features allowed the following diagnosis: migraine (70.3%); tension type headache (51.8%); cervicogenic headache (11.1%). Concomitance of migraine and tension type headache was found in 29.6%. Thirty three percent of employees, 40% of housewives and 50% of students in our series referred prejudice in their productive activities. However, only three patients (11.1%) were claiming for compensation. The lack of potential gain and the uniformity of the clinical presentation are suggestive that the cPTH has an organic cause.
Serviço de Neurologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói RJ, Brasil. jasouza@bigfoot.com
J A
JA
De Souza
P F
PF
Moreira Filho
C da C
Cda C
Jevoux
D000293:Adolescent; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Cefaléia pós-traumática crônica em traumatismos crânio-encefálicos leves.