Case Reports

This guide provides information about planning, writing, and submitting a case report for publication. 

To request assistance with a case report, please schedule a consultation with a research and education librarian, or submit your question to AskMSL@library.tamu.edu.

Definitions

A case report is a detailed narrative that describes the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient's medical condition.

A case series involves a group of case reports about patients who have undergone similar treatments or share a common characteristic. A case series aims to identify patterns in the clinical features, treatment responses, and outcomes of a particular condition.

A case study offers a broader analysis, sometimes involving multiple patients, and aims to explore causes, effects, and patterns to develop conclusions about health systems and clinical practice.

Role of Case Reports in Patient Care

While case reports are not considered a high level of clinical evidence, they are important for:

• Recognizing new or rare diseases or atypical presentations of a disease.
• Determining adverse effects resulting from new medications and other interventions.
• Identifying potential "off label" uses for medications.
• Historically, landmark case reports have improved our understanding of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, PTSD ("shell shock"), and Zika virus infection.

Source: CARE Group