Instructions for Radiological Case Reports Anleitung zum Schreiben eines radiologischen Fallberichts

Purpose This paper explains the purpose and structure of a radiological case report and provides guidance for radiologists with respect to the writing of a well-structured patient case report. Materials and Methods The current literature and the author’s experience as a writer were used to create a manual that describes steps for preparing a radiological case report containing all of the important ingredients for effective communication. Results Case reports are the first line of evidence in documenting clinical observations in the literature. A case report should be written succinctly and consists of four structured main sections: introduction, description of the case, discussion and conclusion. Its structure follows the structure of an original research article, whereby the description of the case of the case report corresponds to the materials and methods section of the research article. The introduction provides the subject and merit of the case report with respect to the published literature. The case description presents the case in detail and chronological order to allow for plausibility. The discussion compares the case with the published literature and summarizes the essential features. A case report, like an original article, must provide a justified conclusion. The conclusion should be brief and be applicable to clinical practice. Conclusion The unique quality of the case, proper preparation and a clear conclusion are essential for a case report to be published. Key Points: ▪ Case reports are the first line of evidence in documenting clinical observations in the literature ▪ The structure of a case report structure follows the structure of an original research article ▪ The unique quality of the case, proper preparation and a clear conclusion are essential for a case report to be published. Citation Format ▪ Bannas P. Anleitung zum Schreiben eines radiologischen Fallberichts. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2017; 189: 333–337