The Special Case of Case Studies

Case studies are retrospective studies in which observations were made in the course of interventions. Hence, the IMRAD format of experimental studies is not appropriate. In case studies, we make certain observations (what we would normally think of as “results”) and then we provide some intervention, which we are inclined to think of as “methods”. In case studies, these two portions of the report are presented in sections which may be termed “Case Presentation” and “Management and Outcome.“

In the Case Presentation, we fi rst describe the complaint that brought the patient to us. For example, we often see sentences such as “A 45 year old mother of 2 presented with recurrent right upper quadrant abdominal pain.” The pattern of “[patient] … presented with …a [complaint]” may seem a bit hackneyed, but it is an effi cient and comprehensible way to introduce the case.