A case report describes a single case — a presentation, its evaluation, and the reasoning that led to a diagnosis. It is short, tightly structured, and requires a structured abstract.
Abstract
Structured, three headings
Tables or figures
Maximum 2
References
Maximum 20
Template
Word file provided
How to structure it
Abstract
- Introduction
- Case Presentation
- Conclusions
Full text
- Introduction
- Case Presentation
- Discussion
Reporting guidance
Brieflands recommends that authors of case reports follow the CARE guidelines (CAse REport), the international reporting standard for case reports. Following CARE makes the case easier to assess in review and easier to use by other clinicians.
Where the case involves human subjects, the requirements in the ethical oversight policy apply, and patient consent for publication must be obtained and stated.
Definition
A case report is a case study or other description of a case, and must contain a structured abstract. Clinical presentations may be followed by evaluative studies that eventually lead to a diagnosis (see the NLM publication types for the formal definition).
Start from the journal’s Word template so the structure and headings are already in place.
Word count
For the word limit that applies to this article type, see the Word Count Policy.
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