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 man who couldn't pee had been infected by one of the largest known human parasites
A 35-year-old man who couldn't pass urine learned that the cause of his obstruction was a giant worm living in his kidney.
Diagnostic dilemma: A scientist caught plague from bacteria thought to be 'noninfectious'
A scientist who was working on plague-causing bacteria caught the disease despite using weakened strains that were deemed noninfectious.
Diagnostic dilemma: A man's deadly infection was triggered by a probiotic supplement
A man with a complex medical history ended up with a rare bacterial infection after taking probiotics in the hospital.
Diagnostic dilemma: A fish bone wandered through a man's abdomen and stabbed his liver
A man went to the hospital several times with gut pain and a fever — and it turned out that his relatively common symptoms had an unusual cause.
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.
