[The characteristics of blast traumatic brain injury].

With the increase in terrorist activity in recent times, the number of blast injuries has also increased in civilian and military settings. In a recent war, the number of patients who suffered blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) increased, so treatment of bTBI is currently a very important issue. Blast injury is complicated and can be divided into 4 categories: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Primary blast injury results from exposure to blast waves; secondary blast injury is trauma caused by fragments of explosive devices; tertiary blast injury is the result of collision with objects; and quaternary blast injury is the result of exposure to toxic and other substances. Blast waves mainly injure air-containing organs such as the lung, bowel, and ear. The brain may also be affected by blast waves. From the clinical perspective, hyperemia and severe cerebral edema occur frequently in patients who sustain significant bTBI. Penetrating or closed head injury caused by the explosion may be associated with vasospasm and pseudoaneurysm formation. Mild traumatic brain injury during war can be associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. To elucidate the mechanism of bTBI, many research works using animal models and computer analysis are underway. Such studies have so far shown that blast waves can cause damage to the brain tissue and cognitive deficits; however, detailed investigations on this topic are still required. Treatment of bTBI patients may require clinical knowledge and skills related to intensive care, neurology, and neurosurgery. Moreover, further research is required in this field.