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Case Reports: How to Write a Case Report

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Consensus-Based Clinical Case Reporting Guidelines

Gagnier JJ, Riley D, Altman DG, Moher D, Sox H, Kienle GS, for the CARE group: The CARE guidelines: Consensus-based clinical case reporting guideline development. Dtsch Arztebl  Int 2013; 110(37): 603-8.

Select Journals Accepting Case Reports

Case Report Templates

The CAse REporting (CARE)  team created templates in nine languages to assist clinicians, researchers, and educators with the ultimate goal of improving the completeness, transparency, and usefulness of case reports.  

English , Spanish , German , Chinese , Dutch , French , Japanese , Korean , Portuguese

• Case Report Journals

A list of case report journals can be found in the pdf below. It provides information on the year launched, open-access status, reported questionable publishing practices, and whether the journal is indexed in Medline. The majority of these journals are open-access and will require a submission fee.

BMJ Case Reports

• BMJ Consent Form

The Library has an institutional fellowship with  BMJ Case Reports  which allows faculty, staff, and students at Weill Cornell Medicine to submit case reports without paying an individual fellowship fee. Use our  fellowship code  when you are ready to publish. 

Please note: BMJ Case Reports, like most journals, requires a signed consent form in order for a case report to be considered for publication. 

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• Seema Biswas , editor-in-chief, BMJ Case Reports, London, UK ,
• Oliver Jones , student editor, BMJ Case Reports, London, UK

Two BMJ Case Reports journal editors take you through the process

This article contains...

- Choosing the right patient

- Choosing the right message

- Before you begin - patient consent

- How to write your case report

- How to get published

During medical school, students often come across patients with a unique presentation, an unfamiliar response to treatment, or even an obscure disease. Writing a case report is an excellent way of documenting these findings for the wider medical community—sharing new knowledge that will lead to better and safer patient care.

For many medical students and junior doctors, a case report may be their first attempt at medical writing. A published case report will look impressive on your curriculum vitae, particularly if it is on a topic of your chosen specialty. Publication will be an advantage when applying for foundation year posts and specialty training, and many job applications have points allocated exclusively for publications in peer reviewed journals, including case reports.

The writing of a case report rests on skills that medical students acquire in their medical training, which they use throughout their postgraduate careers: these include history taking, interpretation of clinical signs and symptoms, interpretation of laboratory and imaging results, researching disease aetiology, reviewing medical evidence, and writing in a manner that clearly and effectively communicates with the reader.

If you are considering writing a case report, try to find a senior doctor who can be a supervising coauthor and help you decide whether you have a message worth writing about, that you have chosen the correct journal to submit to (considering the format that the journal requires), that the process is transparent and ethical at all times, and that your patient is not compromised in your writing. Indeed, try to include your patient in the process from the …

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• Published: 30 January 2023

A student guide to writing a case report

• Maeve McAllister 1  

BDJ Student volume  30 ,  pages 12–13 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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As a student, it can be hard to know where to start when reading or writing a clinical case report either for university or out of special interest in a Journal. I have collated five top tips for writing an insightful and relevant case report.

A case report is a structured report of the clinical process of a patient's diagnostic pathway, including symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment planning (short and long term), clinical outcomes and follow-up. 1 Some of these case reports can sometimes have simple titles, to the more unusual, for example, 'Oral Tuberculosis', 'The escapee wisdom tooth', 'A difficult diagnosis'. They normally begin with the word 'Sir' and follow an introduction from this.

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Guidelines To Writing a Clinical Case Report. Heart Views 2017; 18 , 104-105.

British Dental Journal. Case reports. Available online at: www.nature.com/bdj/articles?searchType=journalSearch&sort=PubDate&type=case-report&page=2 (accessed August 17, 2022).

Chate R, Chate C. Achenbach's syndrome. Br Dent J 2021; 231: 147.

Abdulgani A, Muhamad, A-H and Watted N. Dental case report for publication; step by step. J Dent Med Sci 2014; 3 : 94-100.

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Writing Case Reports

A Practical Guide from Conception through Publication

• © 2017
• Clifford D. Packer 0 ,
• Gabrielle N. Berger 1 ,
• Somnath Mookherjee 2

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.,, Cleveland, USA

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Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA

• A comprehensive, practical guide to writing and publishing a case report
• Covers traditional case reports, case series, poster abstracts, adverse drug reaction reports, clinical images, and clinical problem-solving manuscripts
• Guides the reader through case discovery, journal selection, revisions, and post-publication issues including press releases, social media, citations, and peer review opportunities
• Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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This book provides medical students and physicians with a practical, step-by-step guide on how to write and publish a medical case report. The case report is the traditional way for physicians to describe their unique or unusual cases to a broad audience and it plays an important role in the discovery of new diseases or syndromes, unusual manifestations of disease, important adverse drug reactions, and the generation of hypotheses for further study. This book guides readers through the process from choosing a case to report on to finding a publisher and then comment on future directions and potential new uses of case reports, including expanded computer case databases to optimize care for individual patients and new applications in medical education. Interspersed throughout the text are example case reports, many written by the authors, with commentary on their experiences working with those reports to provide context and aid readers in creating clear, concise, and useful case reports. 

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How to Write a Case Report

How to Write a Case Report?

• Medical Writing
• Internal Medicine
• Case Reports
• Case Studies
• Communication

Table of contents (14 chapters)

Front matter, introduction.

Clifford D. Packer

The Historical Tradition of Case Reporting

The educational value of case reports, practical benefits of case reporting.

• Gabrielle N. Berger

Is My Case Good Enough?

• Somnath Mookherjee, Gabrielle N. Berger

How to Get Started

How to write a traditional case report, special considerations, how to write a clinical vignette abstract.

• Jeffrey Wiese, Somnath Mookherjee

How to Write a Clinical Problem Solving Manuscript

• Gurpreet Dhaliwal, Gabrielle N. Berger

Submitting a Case Report Manuscript

Gabrielle N. Berger, Somnath Mookherjee

The View from the Journal

• Somnath Mookherjee, Brian J. Harte

It’s Published!

The future of the case report, back matter, authors and affiliations, about the authors.

Clifford D. Packer, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.,

Cleveland, OH

Somnath Mookherjee, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

University of Washington School of Medicine

Department of Medicine

Division of General Internal Medicine

Seattle, WA USA

Gabrielle N. Berger, MD

Clinical Instructor

Seattle, WA USA 

Bibliographic Information

Book Title : Writing Case Reports

Book Subtitle : A Practical Guide from Conception through Publication

Authors : Clifford D. Packer, Gabrielle N. Berger, Somnath Mookherjee

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41899-5

Publisher : Springer Cham

eBook Packages : Medicine , Medicine (R0)

Copyright Information : Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017

Softcover ISBN : 978-3-319-41898-8 Published: 21 November 2016

eBook ISBN : 978-3-319-41899-5 Published: 02 November 2016

Edition Number : 1

Number of Pages : XI, 195

Number of Illustrations : 6 b/w illustrations, 6 illustrations in colour

Topics : General Practice / Family Medicine

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What is a Case Report?

"A case report is a description of a single case with unique features. This includes a previously unreported clinical condition, previously unreported observation of a recognised disease, unique use of imaging or diagnostic test to reveal a disease, previously unreported treatment in a recognised disease, or previously unreported complication of a procedure. Case reports should be short and focused , with a limited number of figures and references. The structure of a case report usually comprises a short unstructured (or no) abstract, brief (or no) introduction, succinct but comprehensive report of the case, and to the point discussion" (Peh & Ng, 2010). 

Peh WC, Ng KH. Writing a case report. Singapore Med J. 2010 Jan;51(1):10-3; quiz 14. PMID: 20200769

Journals that publish case reports.

• Journals accepting case reports | Journal of the Medical Library Association, 2023 This article describes a project in which the authors downloaded 1,874 journal titles from PubMed, and reviewed each journal to identify those that accept case reports. Inclusion factors included being indexed in MEDLINE (which assures transparent editorial policies, explicit peer review information, ethical and conflict of interest policies, and editorial board information), accessible on the internet, and accepting and publishing English language submissions. The new journal list includes 1,028 journals covering 129 specialties and is available on the Open Science Framework public page at the following link:
• Journals that Accept Case Reports | Open Science Framework, 2023

BMJ Case Reports

BMJ Case Reports accepts cases in a wide range of clinical and non-clinical specialties, so there are opportunities for students, staff and faculty in medicine, nursing and public health. 

If you're interested in publishing with BMJ, they offer a variety of resources in order to help potentials authors during the writing process. These resources include a pre-submission checklist , a case template word document , and a  patient consent document . These and other resources can all be found on their " For Authors " page.

Dell Medical School offers a  Fellowship  that allows students and faculty to publish with BMJ Case Reports for free ! For more information, contact Dell Medical School Librarian Imelda Vetter . 

Why should you publish?

For medical students and residents, case reports can act as a first step in being published in medical journals. They also offer an opportunity to engage with scientific writing and practice critical thinking skills. 

Case Report Resources

Writing a case report.

Guide from CARE (CAse REports) on how to write a case report step-by-step.

Writing a Clinical Vignette (Case Report) Abstract

The ACP's (American College of Physician) guide on how to write an abstract for a case report.

Writing an Excellent Case Report

Short article from C. Fielder Camm that explains why a case report was selected as the European Heart Journal's case report of the year.

How to choose the best journal for your case report

Comprehensive article that offers an overview of journals publishing case reviews.

Writing Case Reports: How to Enjoy the Journey

Article that provides information on writing case reports and discusses their place as a time-honored medical tradition.

How to write a case report (Video)

Youtube video from research fellow Bishoy Gubran that provides an overview of the writing process.

Writing Case Reports

How to Write Better Medical Papers

See chapter on Case Reports

Reporting and Publishing Research in the Biomedical Sciences

See chapter on Case Reports and Case Series

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Writing a Clinical Vignette (Case Report) Abstract

Case reports represent the oldest and most familiar form of medical communication. Far from a "second-class" publication, many original observations are first presented as case reports. Like scientific abstracts, the case report abstract is governed by rules that dictate its format and length. This article will outline the features of a well-written case report abstract and provide an example to emphasize the main features.

Scientific forums have specific rules regarding how the abstract should appear. For the ACP, the rules are available on the electronic abstracts portal. Organizers of scientific meetings set explicit limits on the length of abstracts.

The most difficult decision to make is whether your case report is worth submitting as an abstract. Of course, rarity of a condition almost always meets the criterion of worthiness, but few of us have the opportunity to describe something that is completely new. Another reason to report a case is the lesson that it teaches. With this in mind, consider presenting a case if it increases awareness of a condition, suggests the proper diagnostic strategy, or demonstrates a more cost-effective approach to management. Alternatively, a case can be presented because it represents an unusual presentation of a relatively common condition. Other twists include an unusual complication of a disease and its management. Again, it's important to think about the message or lesson that the case can deliver.

Before you begin writing the abstract, present a quick summary of your case to colleagues or mentors to determine if they agree that the case is worthy of presentation. It is important to contribute something unique, but not if it depends on some trivial variation from previously presented cases. For example, if it is known that a certain cancer widely metastasizes, it is not worthwhile to report each new site. Similarly, drug reactions often merit a case report, but not if it is simply a report of a drug in a class whose other members are known to cause the same reaction.

Once you have decided to submit a case report abstract, describe it in such a way as to make it interesting, yet conform to the accepted format. The following paragraphs provide suggestions on both style and format.

Title and Author Information: The title is a summary of the abstract itself and should convince the reader that the topic is important, relevant, and innovative. However, don't tell everything about the case in the title, otherwise the reader's interest might lag. Make the title short, descriptive, and interesting. Some organizations require a special format for the title, such as all uppercase letters. Be sure to check the instructions. Following the title, include the names of authors followed by their institutional affiliations. Deciding upon the authorship of a case report can be tricky. In the past, it was acceptable to include as authors those contributing to the management of the patient, but this is no longer true. Currently, it is expected that the authors contribute significantly to the intellectual content of the case report. It is assumed that the first author will present the work if the abstract is accepted. The first author may need to meet certain eligibility requirements in order to present the abstract, for example, be a member of the professional society sponsoring the research meeting. This information is always included with the abstract instructions.

Introduction: Most case report abstracts begin with a short introduction. This typically describes the context of the case and explains its relevance and importance. However, it is perfectly acceptable to begin directly with the description of the case.

Case Description: When reporting the case, follow the basic rules of medical communication; describe in sequence the history, physical examination, investigative studies, and the patient's progress and outcome. The trick is to be complete without obscuring the essence of the case with irrelevant details.

Discussion: The main purpose of the discussion is to review why decisions were made and extract the lesson from the case. Not uncommonly, reports from the literature, or their absence, are cited that either directly support or contradict the findings of the case. Be wary of boasting that your case is the "first" to describe a particular phenomenon, since even the most thorough searches often fail to reveal all instances of similar cases. Keep in mind that the best case report abstracts are those that make a small number of teaching points (even just one) in clear and succinct language.

When writing the abstract, avoid the use of medical jargon and excessive reliance on abbreviations. Limit abbreviations to no more than three, and favor commonly used abbreviations. Always spell out the abbreviations the first time they are mentioned unless they are commonly recognized (e.g., CBC).

It typically takes several days to write a good abstract, and the process should not be undertaken alone. Get help from a mentor who is not familiar with the case; such mentors can quickly point out areas that are unclear or demand more detail. Make revisions based upon the feedback. Finally, have others read your draft in order to check for technical errors, such as spelling and grammar mistakes. Reading the abstract out loud is another good way to catch awkward phrasing and word omissions. Finally, a Clinical Vignette Abstract Checklist  and an example of a clinical vignette abstract  are available to help you with the process of writing a successful abstract.

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Tips and tricks to make case report

Affiliation.

• 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia-dr. Cipto Mangukusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia.
• PMID: 17933079

The main purpose of a case report is to educate clinicians about the clinical features, investigation, and/or the treatment of patients with unusual problems. It is important to remember that all the rules that apply to other forms of medical writing, also apply equally to case reports. The IMRAD format ( introduction, methods, results, and discussion) that one sees in reports of clinical research might not always be appropriate for case reports. Article of case report usually contain a title, authorship, introduction, case description, discussion, references, and acknowledgements. Author decision between submitting to a general, specialist, or even subspecialty journal will depend on the rarity of the case and its specific features. Keep in mind the basic reason for writing a case report: namely, that it should have a message for the reader. It consider who the message is aimed at, and then select a journal whose readership will include the target audience.

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• [Writing and publication of a clinical case report]. Târcoveanu E, Roca M, Mihăescu T. Târcoveanu E, et al. Chirurgia (Bucur). 2011 Sep-Oct;106(5):581-4. Chirurgia (Bucur). 2011. PMID: 22165055 Review. Romanian.
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• Published: 22 July 2017

How to choose the best journal for your case report

• Richard A. Rison 1 , 2 ,
• Jennifer Kelly Shepphird 3 &
• Michael R. Kidd 4 , 5  

Journal of Medical Case Reports volume  11 , Article number:  198 ( 2017 ) Cite this article

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An Erratum to this article was published on 05 October 2017

This article has been updated

Since the establishment of the Journal of Medical Case Reports in 2006, the number of journals that publish case reports has increased rapidly, and most of these journals are open access. Open access publishing usually requires authors to pay publication fees while offering the articles online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. The movement for open access has gained support in the research community, with the publishers BioMed Central and PLOS ONE becoming leaders in scientific publishing in their number of articles and citations. As the number of open access publishers has exploded, so too has the number of publishers that act in bad faith to profit from the open access model. Simple guidelines have been developed and resources are available to help authors choose a suitable journal for publication of their case reports.

Peer Review reports

Case reports offer unique value to the body of medical knowledge by describing new diseases, disease mechanisms, therapeutic approaches, and adverse or beneficial effects of drugs. The act of recording, discussing with colleagues, and publishing clinical observations as case reports remains essential to the art of medicine and patient care [ 1 ]. These short communications generate or enforce hypotheses that may lead to further evaluation in larger study designs [ 2 ]. In providing detailed descriptions of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient, case reports reflect clinical experience and support medical progress. By design, the format lacks statistical sampling, placing it at the bottom of the hierarchy of clinical evidence. Case reports do not include controls, have limited sample size (one to a few individuals), and are unblinded, limitations that require a cautious approach to interpretation of findings. General medical journals publish case reports sparingly, often only publishing those that provide new information on adverse events that can be linked to an intervention [ 3 , 4 ]. Journal editors may limit inclusion of case reports because they are cited less often than meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials, which negatively affects a journal’s impact factor.

The merits of large randomized studies are well known, but many clinicians recognize the value of case reports as a complement to evidence-based medicine. The case-based nature of clinical practice often is at odds with the population-based nature of research studies, where the findings may have little relevance to an individual patient. Narrow inclusion criteria and the absence of co-morbidities in randomized trials often create a disconnection between typical patient populations and populations represented in research studies [ 3 ]. Case reports provide enough detail on one or a small number of patients for clinicians to relate to their own practice. They are educational and interesting to read. For the challenging and patient-centered task of reporting on individual cases with inherent heterogeneous human variability in clinical research and the goal of applicability to real-life circumstances, the CARE guidelines provide a framework for completeness and transparency in case reports. The guidelines aid in finding the balance between adequate detail and concise writing [ 5 ].

In response to renewed interest and acknowledgment of their value, the number of peer-reviewed journals that publish case reports has increased in recent years to more than 160 [ 6 ]. In the digital era of paperless journals with few space restrictions, the case report has seen a resurgence. The digital format facilitates searches, which is a key factor in their utility [ 7 ]. Most of the case report journals are open access and have high acceptance rates. As the number of new scientific journals increases, so do the number of questionable publishers that mislead researchers regarding fees, peer review, and academic credentials. The process of submitting scientific work for publication now includes the need for thorough vetting of potential publishers.

New case report journals

In line with the growing demand for case report publishing opportunities, the number of new peer-reviewed journals that focus on case reports had increased to more than 160 journals produced by 78 publishers by mid-2015. Figure  1 shows that the number of case report journals increased rapidly beginning in 2007, a timeframe that coincides with the Great Recession of the late 2000s and the concomitant decline in federal and other funding for basic science and other research. Some of the new journals cover general medicine and others cover specific therapeutic areas. Most case report journals (94%) are open access and approximately 40% are indexed in PubMed. Clinical issues covered by case report journals include previously unreported adverse effects of drugs or other treatments, unexpected events that occur in the course of observing or treating a patient, observations on disease pathogenesis, presentations and/or management of new and emerging diseases, new therapeutic approaches, ethical challenges in patient management, and strategies for preventing or overcoming medical errors [ 6 , 8 ].

Number of case report journals by year. The number of journals that publish case reports has increased rapidly since 2007. (Reprinted with permission from Akers [ 6 ])

Open access publishing offers freely available and unrestricted use of research and scholarship, which many researchers see as vital to efficient dissemination of science in the digital world [ 9 ]. The open access model usually requires authors to pay submission and publication fees upon acceptance, typically between US $300 and $1200 [ 6 ]. The move toward making scholarly publications more accessible through open access has continued to gain supporters among the research community. The open access publisher BioMed Central launched in 2000 with 231 articles published that year in 60 journals. In 2015, the numbers increased to more than 30,000 articles in over 290 journals. In 2014, BioMed Central articles were accessed more than 277 million times and had 426,000 citations [ 10 ]. Similarly, the number of publications from the open access publisher PLOS ONE, increased from 138 at its inception in 2006 to 28,107 in 2015 [ 11 ].

Controversial journals and publishers

As scientific publishing shifts from a business model of subscription revenue to open access, the number of open access journals has exploded. However, the proliferation of journals that will publish seemingly anything for a fee has caused alarm among many in the global research community. Alongside many respected open access publishers, others have entered the space acting in bad faith. Some see it as the “dark side” of open access, a growing collection of pseudo-academic, prestigiously titled journals, many of which have similar but not quite identical websites and names to those of well-known established journals. Many of the websites look sufficiently impressive that non-experts doing online research have trouble distinguishing credible research from junk. Experienced academics have been misled into submitting manuscripts and even serving on editorial boards for pseudo-academic journals, agreements that often are difficult to undo. Most of these journals do not post their publication fees, and often authors are not informed of fees until after submitting a manuscript. Withdrawal of a manuscript, which is necessary before submitting the same paper to a legitimate journal, may require payment of the high fees first [ 12 ]. For some authors, this means their work may be lost essentially to the disreputable publisher. Many researchers have complained about poorly executed or absent peer review, hidden fees for submission and publication, and unapproved inclusion of researchers’ names on editorial boards.

Jeffrey Beall, a librarian and associate professor at Auraria Library at the University of Colorado, Denver, coined the term “predatory open access publishing” to describe this situation. He is a critic of open access publishing, blaming the system for creating the problem of predatory publishers. His blog Scholarly Open Access, although removed by Beall for unknown reasons in January 2017, closely monitored the increasing number of open access publishers and alerted readers to individuals, publishers, publications, meetings, and scholarly metrics that, in the view of Mr Beall, appeared to exploit the open access model [ 13 ]. He maintained a list of “potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access publishers” and another list of standalone journals. His criteria for inclusion on the lists were derived from the Code of Conduct for Journal Publishers from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), and Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing from COPE, the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA), and the World Association of Medical Editors [ 14 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Similarly, information in these communications may help authors to discern whether they can trust a particular publisher or journal. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the USA has taken notice of questionable publication practices. In August 2016 it filed a suit against the OMICS Group, a global conglomerate based in India that publishes more than 700 open access journals. The suit claimed that the OMICS Group misled researchers, particularly with regard to their peer-review process (or lack thereof) and high fees that were not readily apparent to authors upon manuscript submission [ 17 ]. The purpose of the lawsuit, according to the FTC, is to better inform authors of publishing fees and to have a more transparent peer-review system [ 18 ]. The case is still to be litigated in federal court in Nevada at the time of writing this article.

The challenge for watchdogs and authors alike is to decide when a publisher is untrustworthy or simply unprofessional. Some publishers may fall under suspicion due to poor copy editing or amateurish website design, but this may not reflect an outright neglect of scholarly standards. It is important not to blacklist startup publishers who lack experience. Another problem with maintaining lists of disreputable publishers is that because copycat journals are often short-lived, the blacklist will continue to grow but individual entries may quickly become obsolete.

Choose the right journal: Think. Check. Submit.

The “Think. Check. Submit.” campaign arose in response to concerns about publishing practices, and the effort is supported by a coalition of scholarly publishing organizations. “Think. Check. Submit.” takes a positive approach to help researchers identify credible journals, providing up-to-date guidance for choosing where to publish [ 18 , 19 ]. To ascertain whether a journal is trusted, authors are advised to follow this checklist:

Do you or your colleagues know the journal?

Have you read any articles in the journal before?

Is it easy to discover the latest papers in the journal?

Can you easily identify and contact the publisher?

Is the publisher name clearly displayed on the journal website?

Can you contact the publisher by telephone, email, and post?

Is the journal clear about the type of peer review it uses?

Does the journal site explain what these fees are for and when they will be charged?

Do you recognize the editorial board?

Have you heard of the editorial board members?

Do members of the editorial board mention the journal on their own websites?

Is the publisher a member of a recognized industry initiative?

Do they belong to the COPE?

If the journal is open access, is it listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)?

If the journal is open access, does the publisher belong to the OASPA?

Is the publisher a member of another trade association?

In addition to consulting colleagues and academic librarians for journal suggestions, authors have available to them several online resources. BioMed Central previously collaborated with Edanz, a company that assists authors in navigating the publication process, to create the author academy [ 10 ]. The free online guide describes best practices in writing and publishing a manuscript, including sections on choosing a journal, writing the manuscript, and publication ethics, among others. BioMed Central now contracts with Nature Research Editing Services and American Journal Experts, both of which offer similar services [ 20 , 21 ].

Several automated search tools help identify suitable journals as well. Authors insert keywords from their manuscript abstract into a search engine, which then compares the words to many online publications and Edanz Journal Selector covers a broad range of journals. The online tool is free, and Edanz also offers a journal selection service (US $300) in which experts use their publication experience to identify up to four of the best journals for a given paper [ 22 ]. The Journal/Author Name Estimator (Jane) focuses on biomedical science journals by searching the Medline database published by the US National Library of Medicine [ 23 ]. Other online services offered by publishers Springer and Elsevier suggest journals from their own extensive catalogues [ 24 , 25 ].

Impact factor

Journal impact factors, calculated and published by Thomson Reuters, measure the average number of citations per published article for papers published over a 2-year period. Despite the fact that the simple metric can be misleading, the impact factor has become, over time, a marker of journal prestige and desirability. The judgment of a paper’s value is often based more on the journal in which it appears than on its content. Many researchers contend that reliance on impact factors undervalues disciplines or study designs, such as case reports, which have lower citation rates. Overall, the number of citations of an article is commensurate with hierarchies of evidence, with meta-analyses receiving more citations than any other study design. Case reports typically receive few citations, although there are notable exceptions [ 26 ]. The number of citations of an article, however, does not necessarily reflect how widely the article has been read or the dissemination of the findings in mainstream media [ 27 ].

Efforts to embrace a broader view of value in scientific communication, and perhaps diminish the influence of impact factors, have emerged. Journals of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) no longer advertise impact factors on their websites. Similarly, in recognizing that impact factors are just one of a number of metrics, Nature journals list a suite of citation-based metrics. Only one case report journal, Taylor & Francis’s Neurocase , has received an impact factor (1.124), dating back to 1998.

Medicine/National Institutes of Health Indexed research databases are often curated to ensure the quality of included publications. Clarivate Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters) offers The Web of Science™, as one such example, and recently introduced the “Emerging Sources Citation Index” to complement their more selective indexes. This collection reflects the growing number of peer-reviewed publications of regional importance and in emerging fields [ 28 ].

In conclusion, the growth in number of case report journals has provided authors multiple avenues for publication but, at the same time, it has introduced a new level of uncertainty in the journal selection process. Factors to consider when choosing a journal are: the topics the journal covers, the target audience, length restrictions, and the time to publication. Open access publications, such as the Journal of Medical Case Reports from BioMed Central, offer high visibility, relatively rapid publication, and transparent publication policies. The reputation of the journal plays an increasingly important part of the decision, requiring thorough vetting of potential journals.

Change history

05 october 2017.

An erratum to this article has been published.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the reviewers for their insightful and helpful comments on our editorial.

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RAR is a Deputy Editor and MRK is the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Medical Case Reports . JKS has nothing to disclose.

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Richard A. Rison

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JKS Science & Medical Writing, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Jennifer Kelly Shepphird

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia

Michael R. Kidd

Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, Toronto, M5G 1V7, Canada

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Rison, R.A., Shepphird, J.K. & Kidd, M.R. How to choose the best journal for your case report. J Med Case Reports 11 , 198 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-017-1351-y

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Tips for writing a case report for the novice author

A case report is a description of important scientific observations that are missed or undetectable in clinical trials. This includes a rare or unusual clinical condition, a previously unreported or unrecognized disease, unusual side effects to therapy or response to treatment, and unique use of imaging modalities or diagnostic tests to assist diagnosis of a disease. Generally, a case report should be short and focussed, with its main components being the abstract, introduction, case description, and discussion. This article discusses the essential components of a case report, with the aim of providing guidelines and tips to novice authors to improve their writing skills.

Introduction

For many doctors and other healthcare professionals, writing a case report represents the first effort at getting articles published in medical journals and it is considered a useful exercise in learning how to write scientifically due to similarity of the basic methodology. 1 Case reports aim to convey a clinical message. 2 , 3 Despite different types of case reports, they all aim to enhance the reader's knowledge on the clinical manifestations, the diagnostic approach (with a focus on imaging modalities for case reports published in medical imaging/radiology journals), or the therapeutic alternatives of a disease. 2 – 4 Thus, a case report worthy of reading should contain both useful practical messages and educational purpose. 2 – 5

Although case reports are regarded by some as the lowest (some even do not list the case reports at all) in the hierarchy of evidence in the medical literature, publishing case reports allow for anecdotal sharing of individual experiences, providing essential sources of information for the optimum care of patients. In the hierarchy of evidence-based medicine, randomized controlled trials are placed at the top, superseded by systematic reviews and meta-analyses, followed by prospective experimental trials, then observational studies, case–control studies, and case series at the bottom. 1 , 6 – 8 Most authors are now aware of the impact factor of journals to which they submit their studies. Case reports are infrequently cited, and therefore, publishing case reports is likely to decrease the journal's impact factor. 9 This has led many editors to remove case report sections from their journals. 10

On the other hand, it has been pointed out by others that case reports that are carefully prepared and interpreted with appropriate caution play a valuable role in both the advancement of medical knowledge and the pursuit of education. 11 – 16 Vandenbroucke 17 listed five roles of potential contribution to defend the publication of case reports:

• Recognition and description of a new disease
• Recognition of rare manifestations of a known disease
• Elucidation of the mechanisms of a disease
• Detection of adverse or beneficial side effects of drugs (and other treatments)
• Medical education and audit

Two main roles are recognized for case reports published in medical imaging and radiology journals: as sources of new knowledge and as important means for education and learning. The case report as a source of new knowledge refers to visualization of a new manifestation or finding, or clearer demonstration of a known feature of a disease, using a new imaging technology or an imaging method. 18 , 19 Figure 1 is an example showing 3D virtual endoscopy and the unique intraluminal views of the coronary lumen provided by this new visualization tool. 18 The case report as a means for teaching and learning can be manifested as publication of characteristic and instructive cases for educational features. An example is that British Journal of Radiology (BJR) used to publish six to seven case reports in its monthly issue; however, it has changed the format to publishing “Case of the Month” since May 2012. Educational value instead of extreme rarity is the main virtue of a case report worthy of publication. 2 , 3

Multiplanar reformatted image showing the left coronary artery with coronary stent implanted (arrows) at the ostium of left main stem (A). Virtual endoscopy views of the proximal segment of left coronary artery (B), left anterior descending (C), and left circumflex (D). The internal wall of these coronary branches looks smooth on virtual endoscopy images with no sign of intraluminal irregularity. (Reprint with permission from Reference. 18 )

Writing a case report can be educational for the author as well as for potential readers. 13 Whether in the context of reporting something potentially new or presenting an instructive example of something well known, the author's first and most important task is to search and read extensively on the topic. 20 This article aims to provide guidance on the novice author for writing case reports. Although it is recognized that these guidelines and tips for writing case reports are insufficient for making a successful author, they do help inexperienced authors to exercise and develop basic skills needed in medical writing.

The structure of the case report

Case reports are shorter than most other types of articles. Case reports should encompass the following five sections: an abstract, an introduction with a literature review, a description of the case report, a discussion that includes a detailed explanation of the literature review, and a brief summary of the case and a conclusion. 21 , 22 Tables, figures, graphs, and illustrations comprise the supplementary parts and will enhance the case report's flow and clarity. Unlike original articles, case reports do not follow the usual IMRAD (introduction, methods, results, and discussion) format of manuscript organization. As the format for case reports varies greatly among different journals, it is important for authors to read carefully and follow the target journal's instructions to authors.

The title is the first component of a case report that will be read by readers. Therefore, it should be concise, informative, and relevant to the subject. The ideal title should attract the reader's attention and state the focus on a particular issue, without being too cumbersome or artificial. 23 Redundant words such as “case reports” or “review of the literature” should be omitted, and ostentatious words such as “unique case” or “first report of” should be avoided. 1 , 5 Table 1 lists the titles of case reports that were published in BJR ( British Journal of Radiology ) and JMIRO ( Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology ) between 2012 and 2013.

A list of case reports published in BJR and JMIRO between 2012 and 2013

IVC, inferior vena cava; CPD, continuing professional development.

The abstract

Like other types of articles, it is necessary to include a short summary that gives an overall idea about the content of the case report. The abstract is usually quite brief and generally shorter than that for other types of articles, and it typically has a word limit of 100 words or less. The abstract should be unstructured, pose the clinical question or diagnostic problem, and provide essential information which allows for easier retrieval from electronic database and helps researchers determine their levels of interest in the case report. 5

The introduction

The introduction should be concise and immediately attract the attention and interest of the reader. The introduction should provide background information on why the case is worth reading and publishing, and provides an explanation of the focus of the case report, for example: “We present/report a case of ….” Merit of the case report needs to be explained in light of the previous literature, thus, a focussed comprehensive literature review is required to corroborate the author's claim in this section. The author should bear in mind that a more detailed literature review belongs to the discussion, although critical evaluation of the literature is still required. 5 For some journals, such as BJR (case of the month), there is no Introduction section and the body of the case reports starts immediately with a description of the case.

The case description/summary

The case description or summary is the focus of the case report. The case is best presented in chronological order and in enough detail for the reader to establish his or her own conclusions about the case's validity. 5 , 21 The current medical condition and medical history, including relevant family history, should be clearly described in chronological order, typically comprising clinical history, physical examination findings, investigative results, including imaging and laboratory results, differential diagnosis, management, follow-up, and final diagnosis. 1 , 24 The following paragraph is an example of describing the patient's history:

A 34-year-old female was admitted to the outpatient department due to an increasing lump on the right thigh, which she stated as having been present for 5 years. A painful feeling sometimes occurred in the right upper leg. There was no complaint of lower limb weakness, no history of trauma and the patient was otherwise in good health. On physical examination, a deep seated round mass was detected and located on the right thigh with a size of 25 × 25 × 15 cm, showing hard consistency and non-mobile features ( Fig. 2 A). 25 Open in a separate window Figure 2 (A) Photograph showing a huge lump in the anterior part of the right thigh. (B) Radiographs revealed a bulged soft tissue mass in anterior compartment of right lower thigh showing predominantly radiolucent density with multiple chondroid matrix of calcification. Bone structure is still intact. (Reprint with permission from Reference. 25 )

All important negative findings should also be provided. The author's own interpretation or inferences should be avoided in the body of a case report. Tables/figures should be used to reveal chronological findings or to compare observations using different methods. The following paragraph is another example on the detailed description of using different methods both imaging and diagnostic:

Radiographs showed a bulge soft tissue mass in the right lower thigh having predominantly radiolucent density with multiple chondroid matrix of calcification ( Fig. 2 B), but the bone cortex is still intact. An MRI was obtained to further define the extent and nature of the lesion, confirming heterogeneous soft tissue mass in the anterior compartment of the muscle of the right lower thigh which mostly consisted of fat tissue, thick septation and some nodular non-adipose components. T2-weighted images through the tumour demonstrated high signal intensity comparable with the signal intensity of fat. Fat-suppressed T2-weighted images through the distal part of the tumour showed suppression of the signal through the central fatty components and lobular high signal intensity component at the peripheral rim. 25

In particular, figures need a brief but clear description. In the case of surgery and pathology specimens, the author is advised to provide a comprehensive summary of the surgical procedure and detailed pathologist's report. 5 , 25 The following paragraph is an excerpt from the case report published in the Australasian Medical Journal (AMJ):

The patient was admitted to the surgical ward with preparation for open surgery. The abdomen was opened through the site of the previous incision, and an abscess was observed and drained. A hole was detected in the peritoneal fascia. The anterior duodenum was oedematous and thickened with coverage of fibrin. A small perforated duodenal ulcer was seen. Graham patch procedure was performed to repair the perforated duodenal ulcer with two drains put in place and then the abdomen was closed. The patient was managed with intravenous fluids, as well as analgesics and antibiotics. 26

It is worth noting that patient confidentiality must be preserved. Patient demographics such as age and gender, and occasionally, race and occupation are referred to in the first sentence. In order to reduce the possibility of identifying the patient, the patient's initials, date of birth, and other identifiers such as hospital number must not be used.

The discussion

The discussion is the most important section of the case report. The discussion serves to summarize and interpret the key findings of the case report, to contrast the case report with what is already known in the literature and justify its uniqueness, to derive new knowledge and applicability to practice, and to draw clinically useful conclusions. 2 , 21 In comparing the new case with prior knowledge, the author should briefly summarize the published literature and show in what aspect the present case differs from those previously published, and thus deserves to be read and published. The discussion section of a case report is not designed to provide a comprehensive literature review and citation of all references; therefore, all the references cited should be critically evaluated.

Any limitations of the case should be stated and the significance of each limitation described. The value that the case adds to the current literature should be highlighted, so should the lessons that may be learnt from the case presented, especially if new recommendations for patient diagnosis (with use of an imaging modality) or management, could be put forward. 2 , 5 , 21 The following paragraph is an excerpt from a case report with regard to the concluding statement in the discussion:

This case report highlights the importance of using CT in making accurate diagnosis in patients with abdominal pain due to suspected GI tract perforation. In particular, appropriate selection of CT scanning protocol, such as with oral contrast administration is necessary to ensure timely diagnosis and improve patient management. 26

In the last paragraph, the author should provide the main conclusion of the case report based on the evidence reviewed in the discussion section. A concise statement of the lesson to be learnt from the case could be stated with justifiable evidence-based recommendations. This section should be concise and not exceed one paragraph. 14 , 21

The references

The references listed at the end of the case report should be carefully chosen by virtue of their relevance. References should provide additional information for readers interested in more detail than can be found in the case report, and they should support any specific points highlighted. 14 Some journals restrict the number of references to no more than 15 for a case report.

A case report will not have as much potential impact on the clinical practice of healthcare as randomized controlled trials or other research articles. However, case reports provide valuable sources of new and unusual information for clinicians to share their anecdotal experiences with individual cases, make others aware of unusual presentations or complications, and deliver the educational and teaching message. Well-written and appropriately structured case reports with meticulous attention to the very minute details will contribute to the medical literature and can still enrich our knowledge in today's evidence-based medical world. Table 2 provides the suggested checklist for reporting case reports. Guidelines and tips for writing case reports are not enough for becoming a successful author; however, they are considered helpful for inexperienced or novice authors to exercise and improve their skills needed in medical writing.

Checklist for writing case reports (based on advice in existing literature). 27

Conflict of Interest

None declared.

What I Am Reading July 18th

Related content:

I have not been AI’s biggest fan, especially in healthcare, where I have seen and continue to experience the downstream effects of electronic medical records on the enslaved humans using it. So, this opening paragraph in an article on AI in healthcare was singing my song.

“An important thing to realize about the grandest conversations surrounding AI is that, most of the time, everyone is making things up. This isn’t to say that people have no idea what they’re talking about or that leaders are lying. But the bulk of the conversation about AI’s greatest capabilities is premised on a vision of a theoretical future. It is a sales pitch, one in which the problems of today are brushed aside or softened as issues of now, which surely, leaders in the field insist, will be solved as the technology gets better. What we see today is merely a shadow of what is coming. We just have to trust them.”

Evidently, AI is faith-based. From Charlie Warzel in the Atlantic, AI Has Become a Technology of Faith

Oprah led the way, Reese Witherspoon and now Jenna Bush Hager have followed with reading clubs, the new way to find books. Or is it?

“For years, the signals that mattered most in publishing came from the highest of highbrow sources. Anyone who worked in the industry prior to the 2010s will tell you about the glory days when a rave  New York Times  review and one national NPR segment led to a spot on the best-seller list. For many, it was hard to accept that Reese Witherspoon holding your book could do more for it than ten NPR interviews. Now BookTok may be the next bitter pill industry insiders need to swallow. The literary quality of the books selected by celebrity book clubs is miles above that of many of the titles amplified through BookTok—and for that matter, BookTok is even harder to predict than the media or the celebrity book clubs.”

An interesting look behind the business of celebrity book clubs. From Esquire,  How Celebrity Book Clubs Actually Work

While I am a bit late for the 4 th, I would like to report that I love me a good hot dog. In fact, even at Shake Shack, which makes their chops with shakes and burgers, their griddle-fried hot dog is the best.

“Early vendors were mostly poor immigrants selling the bun-and-wiener combo for a nickel a pop, and hot dogs were such a hit because they were relatively cheap to both buy and sell. As hot dog carts popped up coast to coast in the early 20th century, a few lucky enterprising souls struck it rich from their hot dog business — like Nathan Handwerker, founder of the Nathan’s Famous hot dog chain that crowds flock to on Coney Island to this day. T hanks to its association with leisure — specifically, being out and about in warm weather — hot dogs also became indelibly associated with the summertime. Today, almost 40 percent of the billions of hot dogs consumed in the US every year are eaten between Memorial Day and Labor Day.”

An ode to a dog, from Vox,  America’s obsession with hot dogs, explained

While discussing my favorite foods, I wish to offer another defense for the potato. The potato, by the way, remains a vegetable despite attempts to  reclassify it as a grain!

“In China, except for associating French fries with the West, potatoes are known as peasant food. Very different, rice is a symbol of civilization, and noodles relate to longevity.”

But China needs the potato as described in EconLife,  Why China Wants People To Eat More Potatoes

• AI in healthcare
• electronic medical records
• Celebrity book clubs
• BookTok influence
• History of hot dogs
• Nathan’s Famous hot dogs
• Potato nutrition
• Chinese potato consumption

View the discussion thread.

Chuck Dinerstein, MD, MBA

Director of Medicine

Dr. Charles Dinerstein, M.D., MBA, FACS is Director of Medicine at the American Council on Science and Health. He has over 25 years of experience as a vascular surgeon.

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