Case report 4585729 221717679 2008-06-25T19:45:38Z Arcadian 104523 nav {{Cleanup|date=November 2007}} In [[medicine]], a '''case report''' is a detailed report of the [[symptom]]s, [[medical sign|sign]]s, [[diagnosis]], treatment, and follow-up of an individual [[patient]]. Case reports may contain a [[demographic profile]] of the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence. ==Types of case reports== Most case reports are on one of six topics<ref>Iles 2004</ref>: * An unexpected association between [[disease]]s or [[symptom]]s. * An unexpected event in the course of observing or treating a patient. * Findings that shed new light on the possible [[pathogenesis]] of a disease or an adverse effect. * Unique or rare features of a disease. * Unique therapeutic approaches. * A positional or quantitative variation of the anatomical structures. ==Usefulness and validity== A case report is a type of [[anecdotal evidence]]. As such, it is less scientifically rigorous than controlled clinical data involving a larger [[sample size]]. Proponents argue that case reports have value within [[scientific method]]: :They permit discovery of new diseases and unexpected effects (adverse or beneficial) as well as the study of mechanisms, and they play an important role in medical education. Case reports and series have a high sensitivity for detecting novelty and therefore remain one of the cornerstones of medical progress; they provide many new ideas in medicine. (Vandenbroucke, 2001) ==Famous scientific case reports== *[[Sigmund Freud]] reported on numerous cases, including [[Anna O.]], [[Ida Bauer|Dora]], [[Oedipus complex#Little Hans: a case study by Freud|Little Hans]], [[Rat Man]], and [[Sergei Pankejeff|Wolf Man]] *[[Frederick Treves]] reported on "[[Joseph Merrick|The Elephant Man]]" *[[Paul Broca]] reported on language impairment following left hemisphere lesions in the 1860s. *[[Joseph Jules Dejerine]] reported on a case of pure [[Alexia (disorder)|alexia]]. *[[William MacIntyre]] reported on a case of [[multiple myeloma]] (described in the 1840s). ==Publishing case reports== Many international journals will publish case reports, however there are very few that are devoted to publishing case reports alone. One such journal is [[Journal of Medical Case Reports]] [http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com], an Open Access peer reviewed UK journal. ==Use of term outside science== The term is also used to describe non-scientific reports usually prepared for their educational value. ==References== *Vandenbroucke JP. In defense of case reports and case series. Ann Intern Med 2001;134(4):330-4. PMID 11182844. *Iles RL. [http://www.medwriting.com/1a.html Case Reports] ''Guidebook to Better Medical Writing.'' ISBN 0-9661831-0-X *Kidd M. Introducing Journal of Medical Case Reports. [http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/1/1/1] {{reflist}} ==See also== *[[Case study]] *[[Case series]] {{Medical research studies}} [[Category:Medical terms]] [[nl:Case-report]]