Doctors write case reports to help call rare conditions to the attention of their peers, or to highlight patients whose diagnoses ended up being a bit of a puzzle. Case reports can shed light on emerging trends, hinting at when a condition might be becoming more common. They can also point out treatments that seem to work for diseases that have very few therapeutic options. At Live Science, our writers and editors highlight a report each week to raise awareness of these cases, and in the process, shed light on how the human body works and what happens when things go awry.
Latest about Diagnostic dilemma
Diagnostic dilemma: After surgery, a 17-year-old could speak only a foreign language
While waking up from knee surgery, a 17-year-old boy temporarily lost his ability to speak in his native language.
Diagnostic dilemma: Growing weed with bat poop left 2 men with deadly infections
Using bat poop to fertilize plants like cannabis can sometimes have deadly consequences. A report highlights two fatal cases that affected men in New York.
Diagnostic dilemma: Speed eating a 7-pound burger sent a man to ER unable to pass gas
A case report highlights one potential danger of competitive speed eating.
Diagnostic dilemma: Teen's improbable pregnancy occurred after oral sex
A teen girl with abdominal pain learned she was pregnant and had conceived under extremely unusual circumstances.
Diagnostic dilemma: Weakness in a man's leg revealed his abnormally small brain
A man went to hospital complaining about weakness in his left leg, and subsequent brain scans revealed a surprising finding.
Diagnostic dilemma: One Direction concert left teen with 'crackling' bubbles in her chest
In what doctors called an "extraordinary" case, a teenage girl developed several rare conditions after attending a pop concert.
Diagnostic dilemma: A man ended up in the ER after drinking 6 gallons of milk in 2 days
A man experiencing excessive thirst drank lots of milk, with dangerous consequences.
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman injected herself with venom from a black widow spider
Most exposures to black widow spider venom are accidental, but in a rare medical case, the exposure was intentional.
