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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Whiplike rashes appeared on a woman's back after she ate shiitake mushroomsDiagnostic dilemma A woman developed bright-red rashes on her back that looked like marks from a whip, and at first, it wasn't clear what caused them.
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Biopsy triggered 'spontaneous regression' of woman's arm tumorDiagnostic dilemma Doctors describe a strange case in which a tumor in a woman's arm disappeared without specific treatment.
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An infant's brown eyes turned indigo after COVID antiviral treatmentDiagnostic dilemma In a visually striking medical case, a baby's eyes changed color while he was receiving care in a hospital.
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A woman turned black and blue weeks after starting a new medicationA woman's sudden hyperpigmentation was a side effect of a medicine she was taking.
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Rectal exam stabilized man's irregular heartbeatA man's sudden heart issue went away without the standard course of treatment.
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A teen's classic diabetes symptoms didn't improve with treatment — revealing she also had a much rarer syndromeA teen went to the emergency room with classic signs of diabetes, but odd aspects of her case pointed to a second, rarer diagnosis.
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Diagnostic dilemma: A woman heard voices telling her she had a brain tumor — and scans confirmed she didIn a strange medical case, a woman suddenly started hearing voices, and they directed her to seek care for a brain tumor.
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Woman's 'biologically implausible' infection led her to sneeze 'worms' out of her noseDoctors reported a highly unusual case of parasitic fly infection in a woman in Greece.
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Teenager's hives turned out to be caused by rare water allergyIn a rare medical case, a teenage girl suddenly began breaking out in hives whenever she was exposed to water.
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