The case report in context

Case reports are a rapid means of dissemination of information vital to the practice of medicine. Case reports also serve as important educational tools to both authors and readers. These reports often serve as a clinician's first experience with scholarly writing and provide an important training ground in manuscript preparation and publication. For readers, the case report identifies "recognition patterns" for rare clinical conditions and also can provide a thorough review on important topics related to the case. This article describes the components of a well-written case report for the novice writer as well as identifies opportunities to write a case report beyond the traditional clinical case report.