Diagnostic dilemma — Unusual case reports from the medical literature

An older woman had a relatively common heart problem, but it had a very rare cause.

A woman developed prominent bumps inside her sinuses, similar to a condition seen in "surfer's ear."

A man tore his windpipe, in part, due to hay fever.

A woman developed awful headaches after a Pilates class, and their underlying cause was very unusual.

A man developed a rare condition after getting a tattoo on his genitals.

A man being treated with corticosteroids developed a rare complication of an infection.

In an unusual case, a man's multiday bout of hiccups was triggered by a respiratory infection.

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.

A scientist who was working on plague-causing bacteria caught the disease despite using weakened strains that were deemed noninfectious.

A man with a complex medical history ended up with a rare bacterial infection after taking probiotics in the hospital.