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: A woman started sweating blood from her face and hands
A 21-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital after she was bleeding from her face and palms, with no obvious cause.
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman's nut allergy was triggered after sex
A woman with a known nut allergy had a severe allergic reaction after sex, even though her partner bathed and brushed his teeth first. Here's why.
Diagnostic dilemma: A surgeon accidentally transplanted a tumor into his own hand
In an unusual case, a surgeon developed a cancerous lump on his hand that stemmed from an injury he sustained while performing surgery.
Diagnostic dilemma: Doctors find 27 contact lenses in woman's eye ahead of routine surgery
A patient went to the doctor for cataract surgery, but her physicians were surprised to find a huge, foreign mass under her eyelid.
Diagnostic dilemma: A man's penis was turning to bone
A man in his 60s went to the emergency room after a fall and ended up being diagnosed with a rare disorder of the penis.
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman got 'broken heart syndrome' after eating too much wasabi
The patient was diagnosed with takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome," which had an unusual cause.
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman cleaned her fish tank and ended up in the hospital
A bacterial infection that rarely occurs in the United States hit a woman in Maryland after she cleaned her home aquarium.
Diagnostic dilemma: A man's heart stopped after he ate too much licorice
A man experienced cardiac arrest after eating a different flavor of candy than he had historically.
