Common headache misdiagnoses

Abstract

The authors have a personal philosophy that it is worthwhile for a physician on occasion to be the patient. When this particular physician consults another physician for a medical problem, he is seeking treatment to eradicate that particular problem. It is difficult to afford the appropriate therapy for that problem if the correct diagnosis is not made. It is exactly the same situation with patients that come to us with complaints of headache. If we cannot make the proper diagnosis, it is unlikely we will be able to render the appropriate therapy. We need to keep this in mind when we evaluate patients with these headache problems, many of whom have suffered with an incorrect diagnosis for many years.