Cases Blog
Isolated loss of inferior pubic ramus - our most accessed case report
This month's most-read case report, 'Isolated loss of inferior pubic ramus: a case report', by Aly Saber at the Port Faoud General Hospital in Egypt, has been downloaded over 1600 times in the past 30 days.
The article reports the case of a 35-year-old woman presenting with pain in the left hip joint with no history of trauma. X-rays, and CT and MRI scans showed isolated loss of the left inferior pubic ramus, with thinning of the superior ramus.
Open access publication brings your case reports to a worldwide audience - articles are downloaded over 60,000 times each month.
Submit today to share your case report with our readers.
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 14:23 Comments (1)
Motorcycling and pollution: an unusual cause of arrythmia?
Published this week in Journal of Medical Case Reports is the unusual case of a 43-year-old motorcyclist who suffered cardiac extrasystoles and heart palpitations just two weeks after he began riding a lightweight motorbike to work. A diagnosis of premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) in bigeminy was made and the patient rested for two weeks. The PVCs stopped during this period but resumed once he started using his motorbike on the same route to commute to work. With no other obvious explanation for the PVCs Dr Kent Emilsson suggests an association between air pollution and PVCs.
We already know of a worrying link between carbon monoxide from vehicles and ventricular arrhythmias, but so far previous reports are on patients with existing heart problems. To the best of the author's knowledge this is the first report of this kind in relation to lightweight motorbike use.
For the full clinical information on this case, patient follow-up and how Dr Emilsson arrived at this conclusion please read his case report.
Posted by Miriam Kingsley at 11:19 Comments (0)
Professor Narayan speaks out on the pitfalls of case reporting
A leading Professor of Medicine, KM Venkat Narayan, today published an editorial on the pitfalls facing Cases Journal. He warns of the dangers of overlooking the "numerator phenomenon" - that by publishing case reports purely on what has been seen or experienced (the numerator), we will not always get a true sense of the problem. Professor Narayan recommends that "continuous caution will be needed to keep cases in perspective, in the absence of denominator information, and to not allow the emotive forces behind case reporting to singly or dominantly influence policy."
Narayan warns also of publication bias, and reminds potential authors that Cases Journal welcomes all cases - not only those that are clearly diagnosed, or on severe conditions.
Despite his words of warning, Professor Narayan has high hopes for our novel approach to case reporting: "Cases Journal is a bold experiment in health journalism. It can potentially help democratize the reporting of health and disease by widening the definition of cases to include those that matter not just to physicians but also to patients, their families, and to the community at large."
You can share your opinions by posting a comment on this editorial. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Posted by Miriam Kingsley at 17:53 Comments (0)
A new BBC TV series, Bizarre ER, tells the stories of survival of people involved in unusual accidents, or suffering unusual injuries and conditions.
The makers of the programme are particularly interested to hear from authors and readers of Journal of Medical Case Reports.
If you have handled an extraordinary case and would like to share it with the producers, please email Samantha Williams. They would initially only want to speak to you, and not with the patients. There would be no obligation to commit to the programme, and they are fully aware of the importance of patient confidentiality.
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 10:50 Comments (0)
Share your point of view - post a comment
At Cases Journal and JMCR, we hope that publication of your case report won't be the end of the process - we welcome readers to add their points of view by posting comments on the published article.
You might want to share your experience of dealing with a similar case, suggest an alternative diagnosis, or question the authors for more information on an aspect of their case.
Simply follow the 'post a comment' link at the right hand side of any article, and complete the simple form to share your point of view.
Sir Iain Chalmers, Editor of the James Lind Library, and others have already added their comments to Richard Smith's editorial on the launch of Cases Journal, and we welcome your opinions too.
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 11:55 Comments (0)
JMCR Editor-in-Chief reports on our first 100 cases
A recently published editorial by the Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Medical Case Reports, Professor Michael Kidd, provides an overview of what has been published in JMCR in 2007.
"Journal of Medical Case Reports: the first 100 cases" is the first analysis of this groundbreaking journal's output, and examines the range of clinical areas and patient groups that were covered in the journal's initial 100 case reports. JMCR and Cases Journal are leading the way for large-scale medical case reporting, and this editorial gives some interesting insights into the diversity of case reports published so far. To share your thoughts on this editorial, and the range of case reports published to date, please post a comment on the article.
Posted by Miriam Kingsley at 17:16 Comments (0)
Image highlight: Sigmoid sinus thrombosis - a haemorrhagic venous infarction
Magnetic resonance venogram demonstrating occlusion of the left sigmoid and transverse sinuses
Piers Thomas et al. of the Northwest Thames Foundation School, London Deanery captured this magnetic resonance venogram which features in a recently published case report in Journal of Medical Case Reports.
Journal of Medical Case Reports 2008, 2:175
A 59-year-old Caucasian woman, recently diagnosed with Behçet’s disease, presented with an acute onset of alexia which she noticed whilst driving. She described how while she could read car number plates, she had lost the ability to read and understand words on roadsigns. The left transverse and sigmoid sinuses were hyperdense and there was a focal area of high attenuation in the left temporoparietal region, consistent with secondary haemorrhagic venous infarction. A diagnosis of sigmoid sinus thrombosis with associated
venous infarction was confirmed by computed tomography followed by magnetic resonance venography. [View full case report and more images]
Posted by Miriam Kingsley at 15:44 Comments (0)
JMCR and Cases Journal on the road
BioMed Central will be exhibiting at some forthcoming medical conferences, and we would love to meet you!
- European Society of Human Genetics - Barcelona, 31 May - 3 June (Booth number 338)
- UK Radiological Congress - Birmingham, 2-4 June (Booth number 220)
- European Society for Cardiology - Munich, 30 August - 3 September
- WONCA Europe - Istanbul, 4-7 September (Booth number 45)
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 16:26 Comments (1)
Announcing Cases Journal: JMCR's new sister publication
We are delighted to announce the launch of a new sister journal to JMCR - Cases Journal.
Edited by Richard Smith, the journal will publish any case report that is understandable, ethical, authentic, and includes all information essential to its interpretation. Case reports do not have to be unusual - the journal's ethos is that every case report, no matter how 'everyday' is important. As Smith says in the journal's launch editorial, "Clinicians have the privilege of dealing with individuals in all their
complexity and magnificence. Every person, every "case" can teach us
something."
Cases Journal will work in collaboration with Journal of Medical Case Reports. Articles from both journals will be incorporated into the database of case reports that BioMed Central is creating. If case reports submitted to JMCR do not meet our acceptance criteria, authors will be considered by Cases Journal. Likewise, the most important case reports submitted to Cases Journal will be put forward for review in JMCR.
We hope that Cases Journal will go on to publish many thousands of case reports, including many from physicians who have never published before - we particularly encourage submissions from general practitioners. JMCR will be the home of the most interesting, important case reports that advance medical knowledge, and we hope will eventually receive an impact factor.
So whether you have a case report that gives an important clinical lesson, or whether it's something more commonplace, we look forward to your case reports!
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 11:09 Comments (0)
JMCR Award - winner announced!
Congratulations to Dr Phuong Mai, winner of the inaugural JMCR Award for best case report. Dr Mai's article, ‘A possible new syndrome with growth-hormone secreting pituitary adenoma, colonic polyposis, lipomatosis, lentigines and renal carcinoma in association with familial testicular germ cell malignancy: A case report' received several nominations, and was judged by Professor Michael Kidd, JMCR's Editor-in-Chief, to be the winning case report.
The award was announced at BioMed Central's Research Awards ceremony at the Royal Society of Medicine in London last week.
Thanks to all of you who nominated case reports for the award, and remember that any case report published in JMCR this year will be eligible for next year's award!
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 17:32 Comments (0)
New side-effect of cancer therapy? The author’s perspective
Bevacizumab, the popular colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer therapy antibody, has shown signs of a previously unreported side-effect. Dr Dorothy Gujral, St Lukes Cancer Centre, Royal Surrey County Hospital, reports the first case of periodontitis in a patient whilst receiving bevacizumab. She reports, “This case is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of a patient developing periodontal disease whilst receiving bevacizumab. Although it would be difficult to exclude all other risk factors in this patient, the onset of periodontal disease on commencement of bevacizumab and that the disease remained stable on discontinuation of the drug points to this as the cause.”
We know that bevacizumab has been linked to hypertension and bowel perforations, and that the The Food and Drug Administration voted to reject the use of bevacizumab for breast cancer therapy in December 2007 – but does its safety record need further investigation in light of the new finding of suspected bevacizumab-induced periodontal disease? Trials are underway already; this particular patient was enrolled in a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, 2-stage, phase III study: the AVAiL trial (AVAstin In Lung cancer - Trial No. BO17704) - a study in which the primary objective is to evaluate safety and efficacy of two doses of bevacizumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin and determine the optimal dose of bevacizumab. Dorothy Gurjal comments: “We continue to use bevacizumab in this setting but patients now receive pre-treatment and follow up dental examinations and are advised on good dental care.”
Patient follow-up
The
patient in question in this new case report has now completed the course of
bevacizumab; the periodontal disease has subsequently remained stable. She now
continues on a regular two-monthly clinical examination and CT scanning. Read the full case report here.
Case reports and the bid to improve patient care
Sharing reports of side-effects and unusual disease progression is becoming easier – much of this can be put down to the Open Access model of publishing which allows free information to all. Dr Gurjal adds, “Case reports provide a medium for discussion of possible adverse drug reactions, mechanisms for the adverse reactions and possible prevention steps in the future. This facility is not available through other reporting channels. Journal of Medical Case Reports being an online journal with open access allows rapid dissemination of important information to healthcare professionals around the world. Benefits to patient care can be translated very quickly.”
Posted by Miriam Kingsley at 16:24 Comments (0)
Cardiology is one of the busiest areas for publication of case reports in the journal so far, and (fittingly for Valentine’s day) we invite you to take a look at some of our most interesting cardiology case reports:
Atrial fibrillation-related cardiomyopathy: a case report
Following a history of worsening dyspnoea and palpitations, a 58 year-old male was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. Thyroid function and electrocardiogram tests were normal. Trans-thoracic echocardiography revealed a dilated left ventricle. The patient had been consuming one bottle of a highly caffeinated commercially available beverage (1000 ml) per week for 6 months.
Congenital absence of inferior vena cava and thrombosis: a case report
A 54 year-old male was admitted with abdominal pain and localised swelling over the right flank. Examination revealed palpable 'snake-like' tortuous and tender lumps on the abdominal wall. Past history revealed chronic non-healing venous leg ulcers, and varicose vein ligation at a very young age upon which Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) was diagnosed. A CT scan was performed to search for intra-abdominal cancer.
The first report of endovascular repair of a previously stented, ruptured chronic Stanford type B thoracic aortic dissection re-presenting with a type III endoleak of the original repair in an 82-year-old male.
A pulmonary artery false aneurysm after right middle lobectomy: a case report
A 69-year-old male underwent a right middle lobectomy for a Stage 1A squamous cell carcinoma of his right middle lobe. The patient was readmitted five weeks postoperatively with pyrexia and an episode of haemoptysis. X-ray showed haziness in the right mid-zone and the patient was treated for a presumed chest infection. A week later, he was readmitted with continuing haemoptysis, swinging pyrexia and increasing shortness of breath at rest. Bronchoscopy revealed granulation tissue near the middle lobe bronchial stump, which bled profusely on biopsy. CT scan showed a false aneurysm of the right descending interlobar pulmonary artery and complete lower lobe collapse and consolidation.
As the cardiology section of Journal of Medical Case Reports continues to grow, we are on the look-out for cardiologists to join our pool of reviewers. If you would be interested in reviewing for the journal, please get in touch.
Posted by Miriam Kingsley at 20:40 Comments (1)
Read the most accessed article of 2007
Congratulations to Guntur Luis and Eng-Seng Ng from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, whose case report, 'Acute compartment syndrome of the hand in Henoch-Schonlein Purpura' was downloaded over 3500 times in 2007.
This makes it the most widely-read case report in JMCR to date.
All case reports published in the journal are open access, meaning that anyone can read the full text with no subscription barriers, giving huge visibility to authors' work.
Browse other popular case reports by viewing the list of most accessed articles on the journal website.
Posted by Elizabeth.Slade at 11:11 Comments (0)