14 hours ago 24 votes, 22 comments. Can I have some advice on how best to get patients to do what they refuse to do? I am all for patient autonomy, but often … >> Go To The Portal
But for those who aren't doctors, case reports illuminate the limits and the mysteries of the human body. Some also serve as highly effective cautionary tales.
It typically takes some kind of trauma for brain fluid — a clear liquid that flows between the brain and spinal cord and their outer coverings — to leak. Trauma from car accidents, tumors and botched surgeries are all known to sometimes cause this problem.
The 52-year-old tourist was swimming in the Red Sea when he collided with a school of fish.
If you answered no to both of those questions, then consider yourself lucky: Fishy eyeballs and inhaled earrings are two real (and really bizarre) medical cases that have cropped up in recent years. When doctors encounter such weird cases, they sometimes decide to publish a case report.