Is it still useful to publish case reports?

Although the medical literature is flooded with case descriptions, it is difficult to dismiss the significant impact that a clinical observation limited to one or two patients can have. Case reports can also play a critical role in other areas such as drug safety by serving as early warning signals for adverse drug reactions. Unlike the aggregated data and statistical abstractions of clinical trials or meta-analyses, case reports reflect the real-world context of medical practice, where decisions are made patient by patient. This alignment with everyday clinical experience makes case reports particularly relatable and valuable to practicing clinicians, offering insights that resonate far beyond the confines of population-based evidence. The "Swiss Medical Weekly" wishes to participate in the dissemination of high-quality case reports. A new section entitled "Clinical reasoning" will provide a dedicated platform for well-structured case reports while upholding the journal's high and very strict editorial standard and its Diamond Open Access model.