case study abstract example

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Writing a Clinical Vignette (Case Report) Abstract

Case reports represent the oldest and most familiar form of medical communication. Far from a "second-class" publication, many original observations are first presented as case reports. Like scientific abstracts, the case report abstract is governed by rules that dictate its format and length. This article will outline the features of a well-written case report abstract and provide an example to emphasize the main features.

Scientific forums have specific rules regarding how the abstract should appear. For the ACP, the rules are available on the electronic abstracts portal. Organizers of scientific meetings set explicit limits on the length of abstracts.

The most difficult decision to make is whether your case report is worth submitting as an abstract. Of course, rarity of a condition almost always meets the criterion of worthiness, but few of us have the opportunity to describe something that is completely new. Another reason to report a case is the lesson that it teaches. With this in mind, consider presenting a case if it increases awareness of a condition, suggests the proper diagnostic strategy, or demonstrates a more cost-effective approach to management. Alternatively, a case can be presented because it represents an unusual presentation of a relatively common condition. Other twists include an unusual complication of a disease and its management. Again, it's important to think about the message or lesson that the case can deliver.

Before you begin writing the abstract, present a quick summary of your case to colleagues or mentors to determine if they agree that the case is worthy of presentation. It is important to contribute something unique, but not if it depends on some trivial variation from previously presented cases. For example, if it is known that a certain cancer widely metastasizes, it is not worthwhile to report each new site. Similarly, drug reactions often merit a case report, but not if it is simply a report of a drug in a class whose other members are known to cause the same reaction.

Once you have decided to submit a case report abstract, describe it in such a way as to make it interesting, yet conform to the accepted format. The following paragraphs provide suggestions on both style and format.

Title and Author Information: The title is a summary of the abstract itself and should convince the reader that the topic is important, relevant, and innovative. However, don't tell everything about the case in the title, otherwise the reader's interest might lag. Make the title short, descriptive, and interesting. Some organizations require a special format for the title, such as all uppercase letters. Be sure to check the instructions. Following the title, include the names of authors followed by their institutional affiliations. Deciding upon the authorship of a case report can be tricky. In the past, it was acceptable to include as authors those contributing to the management of the patient, but this is no longer true. Currently, it is expected that the authors contribute significantly to the intellectual content of the case report. It is assumed that the first author will present the work if the abstract is accepted. The first author may need to meet certain eligibility requirements in order to present the abstract, for example, be a member of the professional society sponsoring the research meeting. This information is always included with the abstract instructions.

Introduction: Most case report abstracts begin with a short introduction. This typically describes the context of the case and explains its relevance and importance. However, it is perfectly acceptable to begin directly with the description of the case.

Case Description: When reporting the case, follow the basic rules of medical communication; describe in sequence the history, physical examination, investigative studies, and the patient's progress and outcome. The trick is to be complete without obscuring the essence of the case with irrelevant details.

Discussion: The main purpose of the discussion is to review why decisions were made and extract the lesson from the case. Not uncommonly, reports from the literature, or their absence, are cited that either directly support or contradict the findings of the case. Be wary of boasting that your case is the "first" to describe a particular phenomenon, since even the most thorough searches often fail to reveal all instances of similar cases. Keep in mind that the best case report abstracts are those that make a small number of teaching points (even just one) in clear and succinct language.

When writing the abstract, avoid the use of medical jargon and excessive reliance on abbreviations. Limit abbreviations to no more than three, and favor commonly used abbreviations. Always spell out the abbreviations the first time they are mentioned unless they are commonly recognized (e.g., CBC).

It typically takes several days to write a good abstract, and the process should not be undertaken alone. Get help from a mentor who is not familiar with the case; such mentors can quickly point out areas that are unclear or demand more detail. Make revisions based upon the feedback. Finally, have others read your draft in order to check for technical errors, such as spelling and grammar mistakes. Reading the abstract out loud is another good way to catch awkward phrasing and word omissions. Finally, a Clinical Vignette Abstract Checklist and an example of a clinical vignette abstract are available to help you with the process of writing a successful abstract.

An abstract for a case study, when it’s needed and how to make one

A case study in a different discipline can have different characteristics. Learn in this article everything you should know about it.

There is no doubt that case studies are a unique way to gain insight into the professional practices of any profession, as well as how they operate in a bigger picture.

A case study in a different discipline can have different characteristics. A case study, for example, cannot guide subsequent treatment but can help frame relevant research questions. Case studies also provide valuable teaching material, demonstrating both classical and unusual presentations which may confront the practitioner.

The cover letter and abstract are vital parts of a submission package and are crucial for clearing the initial editorial screening at the journal end. These are the elements that the editor reads first, and based on these, form his or her impression of the manuscript. Some editors screen papers by reading the cover letter and abstract and do not read the entire paper if they do not find these interesting enough.

What is an abstract in case study, and what is its purpose?

An introduction to a topic normally appears in case studies, but they don’t require citations or viewpoints from the author. Consider a case study as primarily a record of a treatment’s progress, not a personal story. A case study should not contain editorial or adversarial remarks. The most effective approach is to tell a story and allow the end product to speak for itself.

It is generally a good idea to confine yourself to specific details and facts when writing case studies. What really happened should be outlined fairly concisely in a case study. We should avoid speculating about the mechanism or prognosis of the disease.

Structure of abstract in case study

A narrative abstract describes the entire paper shortly and concisely. Narrative abstracts do not have headings. By composing a logical story from the paper, the author aims to sum up the content.

Abstracts with subheadings are structured. In basic scientific and clinical research, structured abstracts have become more popular since they streamline information and include certain details. Researchers who conduct article searches online will greatly benefit from this. Readers often decide whether or not to download a full article based on the abstract displayed by a search engine to save time.

Readers are more likely to enjoy structured abstracts since they contain all the essential data they need to decide to read the entire article. Please follow the guidelines below when writing an abstract.

A one- to two-sentence introduction summarizing the whole article and describing the background of the case study.
A brief summary of the case and the investigation conducted is given in several sentences. This case is described in detail, including its diagnosis and therapeutic approach.
Provide details about the patient’s complaint and its outcome.
If the patient’s progress was empirically measured, refer to those measures.
Describe correlations and apparent inconsistencies between the foregoing subsections.
You may wish to summarize the key points covered within a sentence or two, depending on the situation.

You can turn your data into an easy-to-understand format

Discover how Mind The Graph can help you generate engaging visual content for effective scientific communication. Make your research and papers interesting and eye-catching by using infographics to increase effectiveness, participation, and capture attention.

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About Aayushi Zaveri

Aayushi Zaveri majored in biotechnology engineering. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Bioentrepreneurship from Karolinska Institute. She is interested in health and diseases, global health, socioeconomic development, and women's health. As a science enthusiast, she is keen in learning more about the scientific world and wants to play a part in making a difference.

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Medical Case Report Abstract and Title Guidelines

What is a Medical Case Report Abstract Used For?

Medical and clinical case reports (or “clinical vignettes”) are integral in recording unusual and rare cases of diseases, disorders, and injuries. They provide not only the details of a given case, but also briefly include background and establish the wider significance of a case in the medical literature.

Before researchers will even have a chance to read your case report, they will likely be searching through abstract indexes (e.g., via search engines such as PubMed or ScienceDirect ) to locate information relevant to their own medical research. Therefore, both the title and brief abstract are crucial to providing critical details about your case report. The following guidelines and case report templates will help you compose a title and abstract for medical case reports submitted to case report journals.

Formatting to Fit Your Target Journal

The information in this guide is generally applicable to case reports intended for submission to most medical journals. However, each journal has its own guidelines for content and formatting provided in the journal’s “Instructions for authors”, “Author guidelines” or “Preparing your manuscript” section. Read various medical case reports to gain a sense of the different formatting styles used by specific journals.

Case Report Journals

Some medical journals publish a limited number of case reports. There are also numerous respected, peer-reviewed medical journals that specialize in case reports; many are open access journals. A few examples are Journal of Medical Case Reports , Oxford Medical Case Reports , BJR Case Reports , and International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.

Case Report Title

As the first element of a case report that readers will see, the title should be informative , highly relevant to the subject, and concise . It should attract the attention of researchers and other readers of a journal while remaining authentic and convincing.

Useful Terms to Include in the Title

Case-related terms: presentation, unusual case, rare case, challenges, complications, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment
Patient-related terms: patient, adult, child, infant, adolescent, elderly, man/woman

Article-related terms such as case study and case report are generally considered redundant and may detract from the interest of your title, so use them sparingly (but check the author instructions of the target journal prior to submission).

Clinical Vignette Title Examples:

“An unusual presentation of primary small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in an elderly woman”
“Challenges in the management of mycotic splenic arteriovenous fistula in a cirrhotic patient”
“CREST syndrome: a rare cause of chronic upper-gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in adults”
“Primary tuberculous dacryocystitis: two cases mimicking tumors of the lacrimal sac ”

Case Report Abstract

The abstract must be concise, complete, and comprehensible to readers before they have read the article.

How to Organize an Abstract

1. background (1-2 sentences).

First, explain why this case is being reported and its novelty or clinical relevance.

2. Case presentation (3-6 sentences)

Give a brief description of the patient’s medical and demographic details, their diagnosis, interventions or complications, and the outcomes. Level of detail should be determined by importance to the novelty and outcomes of the case.

3. Discussion/Conclusion (1-2 sentences)

Briefly summarize the clinical impact and/or implications of this case and provide suggestions for the clinical area. Emphasize aspects of the case that may have broader implications, suggest precautions that should be taken, or provide interesting topics for future research.

Medical Case Report Abstract Templates

Example #1: a case of injury.

We herein report a case of a [patient age and gender] with an unusual case of [injury] . The [injury] consisted of features typical of [common features of the injury/disease/disorder] , with additional [additional features of case, if any] , signifying a [diagnosis/complications] . Features of this case are discussed together with its implications, including [implications of case] . [Additional measures taken—treatment/surgery/etc.] was undertaken due to [reason for measures] .

Example #2: A Case of Disease/Disorder

[Disease/disorder] is a rare condition characterized by [symptoms] . Its presentation is usually [sporadic/chronic/acute] . Usually seen in patients who are [typical demographics of patient] , [disease] presentation in [this specific category of patient] is rare. Symptoms at presentation depend on [parts of body/patient’s environment] . Patients with [disease/disorder] may present with [additional major symptoms] . We herein report a rare presentation of [disease/disorder] in a [patient demographic—age/gender/race/etc.] . who suffered from [corresponding symptoms or co-morbid diseases] . [Diagnostics/tests] revealed [results of tests/complication] . The patient underwent [surgery/treatment] and was given [drugs/intubation/etc.] . Recovery was [description of recovery] . In spite of a wide range of therapeutic options for the management of [disease/disorder] described in the literature, the efficacy of those available therapies is [unknown/not well established/open/etc.] .

Wordvice Resources

For more input on how to come up with the perfect title for your report, how to write abstracts for research papers in general, or how to impress the editor of your target journal with the perfect cover letter , head over to the Wordvice academic resources page. And ensure your chances of journal publication with our English editing services , which include Paper Editing and Manuscript Editing Services .