01 October 2023
: Editorial 
Editorial: The Increasing Relevance of Case Reports in Medical Education and Clinical Practice – and How to Write Them
Dinah V. Parums1CDEF*DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.942670
Am J Case Rep 2023; 24:e942670
Table 2. Writing a case report: What to do and what not to do.
| Components of the Case Report | What to Do (Dos) | What Not to Do (Don’ts) |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions for Authors | Always read and follow these, and format the manuscript for your chosen journal. | Do not ignore the instructions or submit a manuscript formatted for a different journal. |
| Title | Write a clear and descriptive title of the case you are presenting. | Do not use a vague and non-descriptive title that will not be identified on searches. |
| Abstract | Include relevant content in the subsections: Background: Case Report; Conclusions. | Do not use the Abstract to present your own opinions or make clinical recommendations. |
| Keywords | Use Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) keywords and include – case report. See: | Do not use non-standard keywords that cannot be identified on PubMed. |
| Background | Introduce each topic of the report. Include current diagnostic and management guidelines and previous similar case reports. End with the aims of the report. | Do not write a general ‘review’ or include content that is not specifically relevant to your case. |
| Case Report | Write the case chronologically with the presentation, recent medical history, past medical history, diagnosis, management; follow-up, and outcomes. The content should be concise, relevant and present a story that holds the readers’ interest. | Do not omit key clinical and diagnostic details, including laboratory and imaging findings. Do not include irrelevant details. |
| Discussion | Focus on this case. Begin with what the case has shown. Compare it with previous clinical studies and reports. | Do not write a general ‘review’ or include content that is not specifically relevant to your case. |
| Conclusions | A brief statement is required of what the case supports or highlights. | Do not make general or misleading clinical recommendations from one report. |
| Acknowledgments | Acknowledge input from clinical colleagues not included as authors. Also, if the case has been previously presented as a meeting abstract, please acknowledge this. | Do not write a case report without discussing it with clinical colleagues. If you are a student or trainee, do not write the report without senior supervision. |
| References | References should be recent, relevant, accessible, and formatted correctly for the chosen journal. If the reference is only available on the internet, add the URL. | Do not include inaccessible references. Do not state that you have undertaken a – ‘review of the literature’ – unless it is systematic. |
| Figures | The credibility of the case depends on images to support the diagnosis. | Do not omit clear and clearly described diagnostic figure images. |
| Tables | Include tables that clearly summarize the findings from the case. | Do not include tables that are not relevant to the case. |