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In medicine, a case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment,
and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports may contain a demographic profile of
the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence. Some case reports also
contain a literature review of other reported cases. Case reports are professional narratives
that provide feedback on clinical practice guidelines and offer a framework for early signals
of effectiveness, adverse events, and cost. They can be shared for medical, scientific, or
educational purposes.
Contents
1 Types
2 Roles in research and education
3 Reporting guidelines
4 Publishing
5 Use of terminology outside science
6 Famous scientific case reports
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Types
Most case reports are on one of six topics:[1]
Proponents of case reports have outlined some particular advantages of the format. Case
reports and series have a high sensitivity for detecting novelty and therefore remain one of
the cornerstones of medical progress; they provide many new ideas in medicine.[7] Whereas
randomized clinical trials usually only inspect one variable or very few variables, rarely
reflecting the full picture of a complicated medical situation, the case report can detail
many different aspects of the patient's medical situation (e.g. patient history, physical
examination, diagnosis, psychosocial aspects, follow up).[8]
Because typical, unremarkable cases are less likely to be published, use of case reports as
scientific evidence must take into account publication bias. Some case reports also contain
an extensive review of the relevant literature on the topic at-hand (and sometimes a
systematic review of available evidence). Reports adopting this sort of approach can be
identified by terms such as a "case report and review of the literature". Reports containing
broader active research such as this might be considered case studies in the true definition
of the term.
Case reports can also play a relevant role in medical education, providing a structure for
case-based learning.[4]
A particular attraction of case reports is the possibility of quick publication (with respect to
more extensive studies such as randomized control trials), allowing them to act as a kind of
rapid short communication between busy clinicians who may not have the time or resources
to conduct large scale research.[8]