A new radiological case report journal

The Indian Radiological and Imaging Association is coming out with its third journal, the Case Reports in Clinical Radiology. While Indographics will be publishing review articles and pictorial reviews, the case report journal will publish case series and reports. The per year number of submissions to the Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging is quite huge, the majority of them being case reports. Unfortunately, the rejection rate is quite high because the articles lack many qualities that result in their acceptance. As radiologists in training during or after residency, most radiologists get hardly any training in scientific writing. Mentoring a resident in writing a case report could be easier than an original or review article. Once a resident writes a few case reports with help of supervisors, it becomes easier to get a grasp on scientific writing.

Although the level of evidence in medical research is low for case reports and case series, the value and contribution of a case report to disease diagnosis and management should not be underestimated. New treatment methods and diagnostic signs have been introduced through case reports which have undergone further research. An unusual imaging finding of a common disease or observations of a rare disease may be a requirement for creating a report. Good radiological images and photos in the report can be of high teaching value. The uniqueness of the case along with a structured presentation and a clear conclusion is essential for the report to get accepted in the journal.

Writing a good case report is an art that requires communicating clinical details scientifically.^[1] This requires constant practice, initially under the guidance of teachers. There are several authors and groups who have put forth instructions and guidelines for case report writing. Bannas has discussed the instructions for writing various components of a structured radiological case report.^[2] A guideline named CARE guidelines mentions 13 item checklist for writing case reports.^[3] Knowledge of these will help the author to prepare a good manuscript. High-resolution illustrative images highlighting the relevant findings should be added whenever required.

This journal will not only give an opportunity for the author to showcase an interesting case that will add knowledge to the medical literature, but it will also help the author to develop scientific writing skills and provide experience in critical peer review. The editorial team is already reviewing a large number of manuscript submissions to this journal and we hope that this will continue.