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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
Man's autopsy reveals unexpected 'boomerang-shaped' structure in his heart
A surprising autopsy marked the first time a bony, supportive structure was documented in an adult human heart, medical examiners reported.
Liquid-nitrogen-infused cocktail popped a man's stomach like a balloon
Liquid nitrogen can be used safely in food preparation — but one man's stomach burst after he threw back a cocktail that had been cooled with the substance.
A woman experienced delusions of communicating with her dead brother after late-night chatbot sessions
A woman developed psychosis, and her symptoms escalated rapidly, prompting clinicians to retrace the events leading up to her hospitalization.
A man's sudden seizures were set off by sudoku
In the weeks following a ski accident, a German man experienced seizures when he completed sudoku puzzles.
Giant 'stone' in a man's bladder looked like an ostrich egg
A man visited a hospital because of bladder discomfort, and his doctors discovered a remarkably large bladder stone.
A rare condition caused a man to get 'scales' on his hands whenever he washed them
A man's rare condition caused "excessive wrinkling" in his hands which spread to his wrists and elbows.
Tooth-in-eye surgery, 'blood chimerism,' and a pregnancy from oral sex: 12 wild medical cases we covered in 2025
Here are a dozen strange and interesting tales from the medical literature.
Diagnostic dilemma quiz: Can you guess the diagnosis in these strange medical cases?
Based on our "Diagnostic Dilemma" series, this quiz tests your medical know-how.
