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
A knife broke off in a man's chest, and he didn't notice it for 8 years
Diagnostic dilemma A man noticed pus oozing from his chest, and it ended up revealing a knife blade in his thoracic cavity.
A woman kept tasting bleach — and doctors found a hidden cause in her blood
A woman was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that also led to striking behavioral changes — namely, her craving the taste of powdered bleach.
Woman's severe knee pain reveals 'golden threads' in her joints
A woman went to the hospital for severe joint pain in her knees, and an X-ray showed hundreds of strands of gold thread.
Rare condition made a woman see people as dragons
A woman sought treatment for hallucinations she'd been experiencing since childhood, in which people's faces would morph into having dragon-like features.
A man's preference for 'soft' bacon may have given him brain worms
A man in the U.S. reported worsening migraine symptoms. It turned out that a pork tapeworm had invaded his brain.
Girl's dental trouble caused a life-threatening eye infection
A girl went to her dentist complaining of a toothache and swelling around her eye. It turned out the two problems were connected.
A woman had something in her eye — and it turned out to be parasitic worms
A woman went to the hospital several times with the feeling that something was stuck in her eye. It turned out to be parasites.
Hunter's rare allergy meant he could no longer eat red meat
A man who hunted deer developed a very rare allergy that progressively worsened each time he ate red meat.
