A case report is a detailed description of a single patient's clinical case, written up because it teaches something: a rare condition, an unexpected response to treatment, an unusual presentation of a common disease, or a diagnostic lesson worth sharing. For many clinicians and trainees, the case report is the first publication, and it remains a valuable form precisely because it captures the kind of granular, real-world detail that large trials average away.
This guide explains how to write a case report that journals will accept: the structure to follow, the CARE reporting guidelines, what makes a case publishable, and the consent and ethics requirements you cannot skip.
Before writing, be honest about whether the case adds something. Editors see far more case reports than they can publish, and the ones that succeed share a clear reason to exist:
- A rare disease or a rare presentation of a familiar one.
- An unexpected treatment response, good or bad, including novel adverse effects.
- A diagnostic challenge whose resolution carries a transferable lesson.
- A new association between conditions or between a drug and an outcome.
If you cannot state in one sentence what a reader will learn, the case is probably not ready for a report. This is also what separates a case report from an evidence synthesis; for the difference in purpose and method, see our comparison of a case report versus a systematic review.
The Standard Structure
Most case reports follow a structure close to IMRaD, adapted for a single case:
- Abstract. A short, structured summary, often 150 to 250 words, stating the case and its lesson. Many readers and all indexers see only this, so it must stand alone.
- Introduction. Two or three sentences of background establishing why the case matters and what is already known.
- Case presentation. The core of the report: patient history, presenting complaint, examination findings, investigations, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome, in chronological order. Include relevant negatives and avoid identifying details.
- Discussion. Where the case is interpreted against the published literature. What does it confirm, challenge, or add? What is the mechanism or the clinical takeaway?
- Conclusion. A brief, specific take-home message, not a generic call for more research.
A timeline figure showing the sequence of events is strongly recommended and is part of the CARE checklist.
The CARE (CAse REport) guidelines are the reporting standard most journals expect. They provide a checklist of the items a complete case report should contain, including a structured abstract, a timeline, the patient's perspective where appropriate, and a clear statement of . Following CARE from the first draft, rather than retrofitting it, makes the report more complete and smooths the path through editorial screening. Reporting checklists exist for most study types, and using the right one is a mark of methodological care that reviewers notice, much as PRISMA governs the reporting of a .