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.
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Man who consulted ChatGPT about cutting out table salt ended up hospitalized with psychosisDiagnostic Dilemma A man looking for healthy alternatives to table salt consulted ChatGPT for help, but he ended up hospitalized with paranoia and hallucinations.
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Rare 'spinal stroke' struck an 8-year-old and temporarily paralyzed herDiagnostic Dilemma When an 8-year-old suddenly lost the ability to walk, doctors ruled out infection and autoimmune disease before uncovering a rare explanation.
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6-year-old develops life-threatening allergic reaction after blood transfusionDiagnostic Dilemma A 6-year-old cancer patient was receiving a blood transfusion when he developed a potentially deadly allergic reaction.
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Junk-food diet caused a teen's permanent blindnessDiagnostic Dilemma A teen's nutrient-poor diet led to irreversible vision problems.
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Diagnostic dilemma: An 83-year-old man went to the hospital because of very itchy skin. It turned out he had a rare form of syphilis.A man went to the emergency room after being in and out of hospitals for a month, and doctors found a surprising explanation for his illness.
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A woman heard voices for years — but not because of psychosisDiagnostic Dilemma After multiple hospital visits and unsuccessful antipsychotic treatments, a woman's doctors uncovered an overlooked explanation for her hallucinations.
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A woman's nausea was triggered by a huge mass in her stomach — which doctors dissolved with diet sodaDiagnostic dilemma A woman's abdominal discomfort turned out to be caused by a buildup of food in her stomach. And the treatment involved diet soda.
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Improper use of a massage gun tore holes in a man's retinasDiagnostic Dilemma Misuse of a handheld massage gun left a young man with rare retinal injuries that could have led to permanent vision loss.
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After taking a medicine for years, a man suddenly had weird changes in his taste that made food disgustingDiagnostic Dilemma A man found that many different foods suddenly tasted terrible to him, and the phenomenon turned out to be a rare side effect of his medication.
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