It is a Maxim among physicians: “If you hear Hooves, you think horses, not Zebras.” The spell will help Doctors in finding the right diagnosis and means as much as: Shows a Patient with a particular Symptom, should physicians be of probable causes, instead of going on the search for rare triggers – in this case Zebra -. In practice, the principle is indeed justified. However, there are always patients that do not fit into this scheme. And Doctors and nursing staff with rare diagnoses and the mystery of Suffering will be liable to challenge.

Often, these patients ‘ stories of medicine are taken up sheets compartment, such as the “BMJ Case Reports” and to find their way into magazines and Newspapers worldwide. Also the star regularly reports on a particular case, stories – online on stern.de and in the in the folder that appears, section “diagnosis”. It deals with cases in which Doctors had to be detectives to help their patients.

Some of the Patient stories provided in the past year, particularly a lot of attention. We have summarized the most exciting events in our year in review in 2018.

1. Man suppressed Sneeze – a week in the hospital

To caused the beginning of the flu season this story in January 2018 headlines: A suppressed Sneeze was a British a week in the hospital. He, too, had to be fed artificially. What had happened?

The man had been trying to a huge Sneeze, he was placed nose and mouth. The pent-up pressure, causing great damage: In the pharyngeal muscles, a crack formed, the man could barely speak and had trouble Swallowing.

ENT-Doctors from the UK and Germany warned then insistently against Sneeze – in the worst case, the eardrum, or a blood could tear the vessel. The man had a blessing in disguise. He was able to leave the hospital after seven days.

The whole story can be read here.

2. Family poisoned themselves – with a Sack of potatoes

Whether it’s French fries, salad or mashed potatoes: potatoes are in Germany very popular. Underestimate, one should not the yellow tuber nevertheless, In the exception of potatoes, can contain cases, high levels of Glykoalkaloiden. With these bitter-tasting poisons of potato plants to defend themselves against Fraßschädlinge.

A family from Stuttgart, Germany had to learn this the hard way: they had bought a ten kilo bag and it Pell – and baking potatoes prepared. After the meal, parents and children had strong abdominal pain and had to pass. In the laboratory of the suspicion was confirmed: In the potatoes, high contents were detected at Glykoalkaloiden.

In front of the tubers fear but must be no one: in the Meantime, it has managed to breeders, potatoes with just a little Glykoalkaloiden to bring to the market. In addition, each consumer can have an influence on the poison-content of the tubers: potatoes should always be in a dark, cool place to be stored. Eyes and seedlings include a generous cut. And: Green, shriveled or bitter-tasting potatoes should ideally be disposed of immediately.

The whole story can be read here.

3. You want a nice, defined body then your muscles will dissolve

Beautiful, defined muscles – this is the dream of three women from Scotland. You trained in a gym and developed shortly after, similar symptoms: intense muscle aches and a brownish discolored urine. What had happened?

The women had a blessing in disguise: they had gone to the same doctor who brought the three cases to each other and so the mystery was solved. The three women suffered from a so-called rhabdomyolysis – a rare but serious complication after excessive muscle training. The muscle cells of the women were torn open by the strenuous and unaccustomed exercise, and the contents of out swollen. Hence the dark urine: The brown color comes from the muscle protein Myoglobin.

In the hospital, the three patients were given a drip that you received in the course of the day several litres of liquid. The saline solution will help to locks the Myoglobin from the blood. This is important, because in the worst case, the muscle protein can damage the kidneys and lead to acute renal failure.

Fortunately, the therapy suggested in all patients. You were able to leave the hospital within one and six days – well your kidneys recovered fully, write to the Doctors in the journal “BMJ Case Reports”.

The whole story can be read here.

4. Canadians will be bitten by a Black widow – the Doctors send him back home

Excruciating, violent pain in the abdomen bring a 50-year-old Canadians in the emergency room of a hospital in Ottawa. The pain would have used in the early Morning, explained the man. In addition, he could not go, despite the urge to urinate on the toilet. He is sweating heavily, and reported that he was bitten the day before, probably by an insect. He is not the animal though. It was sitting in the tall Grass in the vicinity of a hut.

The Doctors examine the man, a tap of a renal colic, and send him with painkillers-back home. A few hours later, the man comes to the emergency room. The pain is excruciating, his eyelids are now also swollen, and the blood pressure is increased. The Patient reminds the Doctors once again to the supposed bite – and this Time the doctors take serious note.

Due to the symptoms, the Doctors assume that the husband of a Black widow spider was bitten. Bites from Black widows are in Canada “extremely rare,” report the Doctors in the journal “Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine”. That was also the reason why you had the note of the man little attention.

The man can leave the hospital after a few days.

The whole story can be read here.

5. Souvenir from the beach – worm lives under the skin

An eleven year old Boy from the United States brought a special Souvenir from a beach: A snail that had stuck in his skin and stay there for a week survived. How was the animal there?

The Boy must have the animal in a crash on the sea coast and captured. The snail undetected pierced the skin and remained. The boy’s parents cared for the wound, wondered about the bulge that remained. As these grew at an even and slow with pus filled, went to the parents with their son to the doctor. This eventually discovered the snail, which had survived for several days in the skin.

Sea snails protect themselves from drying out by closing your housing with a lid, and thick mucus. Apparently, the animal had made these properties to advantage and was thus able to survive in the hostile environment of a skin abscess.

The whole story can be read here.