Abstract

Case Reports are detailed descriptions of the circumstances, physical presentations, medical features, treatments, and presents unique features of an individual that advances medical and forensic sciences and has educational value. Starting in the 20th century the editor board of major medical journals began to limit the publication of these types of reports. Reasons include they only represent a novel or curiosity, the application of the academically created hierarchy of research, and the limited number of pages. In the fields of forensic medicine and forensic pathology case reports play a critical function in defining new syndromes, such as SIDS, estimating fatal concentrations of drugs, and the collection of data that due to ethical and human experimentation regulations could not be obtainable by other methods. The editorial board of forensic and criminal journals should continue to support and encourage the publication of case reports. The recent growth of on-line and open access journals has allowed a new format for the publication of case reports. This mini reports provides define, history, structure of case reports, examples how case reports are used in the forensic field, and the future of case reports.