How to Write and Publish a Case Report

Necessary Criteria:

• Your case report should not be previously represented in medical literature- that means you need to do a literature search
• Complete- you should have enough information in the file to present the case

Characteristics that make cases more likely to be published:

• Cases that contribute to a change in the course of medical science
• Cases that illustrate a new principle or support or refute a current theory and thus may stimulate research
• Cases that present a therapeutic or diagnostic observation that elucidates a previously misunderstood clinical condition or response
• Cases that demonstrate an adverse response to drug therapies or presumed cause-and-effect presentations that have not been detected or reported
• An unusual combination of conditions, cascading events, or presenting complaints that confused the decision-making process or created treatment dilemmas
• A new observation of the impact of one disease process or condition on another, or of a treatment regime for one condition that results in an unexpected outcome of a different condition
• Case reports that describe the personal influence a particular event had on a patient, the physician, or both

Packer, Clifford D., et al. Writing Case Reports : A Practical Guide from Conception Through Publication, Springer International Publishing AG, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/templeuniv-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4732576.

Different journals have slightly different formats for case reports. But, in general, all case reports include the following components: an abstract, an introduction, a case, and a discussion. 

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

• You should aim for completeness. Use full names and formal credentials; department and institution worked. The author information usually does NOT count against the total word count but be sure you check the instructions.
• There may be a limit on how many authors can be on the submission.
• The first author is the one who conceived the report and did most of the work.
• Full disclosure on sponsors.

Your best strategy in writing a title: Write the abstract first. Then pull out 6-10 key words or key phrases found in the abstract, and string them together into various titles. Brainstorm lots of keywords to help find the best mix. Use action words that concisely portrays the message of your case report. Some journals require the words "case report" in the title, check the guidelines. 

The title should be:

• Ideally 10-12 words long. Look for a limit on how many characters the title can be on the journal website once you've figured out where to submit. Look for further rules about the title: Upper- and lowercase letters only.
• Make the title a description of what was investigated (not the results or conclusion); convey as much as possible about the context and aims of the case. 
• Avoid low-impact phrases like ‘effect of... ‘ or ‘influence of…’; Do not include jargon or unfamiliar acronyms.

The abstract should summarize the case, the problem it addresses, and the message it conveys. Abstracts of case reports are usually very short, preferably not more than 150 words.

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

The introduction gives a brief overview of the problem that the case addresses, citing relevant literature where necessary. The introduction generally ends with a single sentence describing the patient and the basic condition that he or she is suffering from.

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

This section provides the details of the case in the following order:

• Patient description

• Case history

• Physical examination results

• Results of pathological tests and other investigations

• Treatment plan

• Expected outcome of the treatment plan

• Actual outcome

The author should ensure that all the relevant details are included and unnecessary ones excluded.

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

This is the most important part of the case report; the part that will convince the journal that the case is publication worthy. This section should start by expanding on what has been said in the introduction, focusing on why the case is noteworthy and the problem that it addresses.

This is followed by a summary of the existing literature on the topic. (If the journal specifies a separate section on literature review, it should be added before the Discussion). This part describes the existing theories and research findings on the key issue in the patient's condition. The review should narrow down to the source of confusion or the main challenge in the case.

Finally, the case report should be connected to the existing literature, mentioning the message that the case conveys. The author should explain whether this corroborates with or detracts from current beliefs about the problem and how this evidence can add value to future clinical practice.

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

A case report ends with a conclusion or with summary points, depending on the journal's specified format. This section should briefly give readers the key points covered in the case report. Here, the author can give suggestions and recommendations to clinicians, teachers, or researchers. Some journals do not want a separate section for the conclusion: it can then be the concluding paragraph of the Discussion section.

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

Informed consent in an ethical requirement for most studies involving humans, so before you start writing your case report, take a written consent from the patient as most journals require that you provide it at the time of manuscript submission. In case the patient is a minor, parental consent is required. For adults who are unable to consent to investigation or treatment, consent of closest family members is required.

Patient anonymity is also an important requirement. Remember not to disclose any information that might reveal the identity of the patient. You need to be particularly careful with pictures, and ensure that pictures of the affected area do not reveal the identity of the patient.

Source: Guidelines To Writing A Clinical Case Report. Heart Views. 2017 Jul-Sep;18(3):104-105. doi: 10.4103/1995-705X.217857. PMID: 29184619; PMCID: PMC5686928.

The references section should include citations to any resources you referenced in your case report.