Case reports in dermatology: loved by clinicians, loathed by editors, and occasionally important

Optimizing case reports and case series: guidance on how to improve quality

Case reports and case series remain an important part of journals and are often first to document medical breakthroughs. This article reviews their characteristics, aims and limitations. It provides information on how to increase the validity of the bedside decision-making process that these studies report, using tools such as validated outcomes and split-body or n-of-1 trials. A section describing tools to improve writing of case reports and case series provides suggestions for detailed reporting and good evaluation of novelty, validity and relevance. It includes general and British Journal of Dermatology-specific guidance.

Clinical Research in Dermatology and Venereology in Spanish Research Centers in 2005 Through 2014: Results of the MaIND Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Bibliometric indicators provide a useful measure of the number of clinical research articles published in scientific journals and their quality. This study aimed to assess the amount and quality of research carried out in Spanish dermatology centers and to describe the research topics.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Bibliometric study of clinical research articles that met the inclusion criteria and had a definitive publication date between 2005 and 2014 in MEDLINE or Embase in which the corresponding author's affiliation was a Spanish hospital dermatology department or other center.

RESULTS

Of 8,617 articles found, 1,104 (12.81%) met the inclusion criteria. The main reason for excluding articles was that they did not have an evidence level of 4 or better. The main vehicle for reporting was the journal Actas Dermosifiliográficas, which published 326 articles (29.53%). Melanoma, the disease the researchers studied most often, accounted for 134 articles (12.13%).

LIMITATIONS

A limitation to bear in mind when interpreting the results is that we relied on the corresponding author's affiliation to identify articles reflecting research from a Spanish dermatology center. Thus, studies in which dermatologists participated would not be recognized if they were directed by other specialists.

CONCLUSION

Only a small portion of articles published from Spanish dermatology centers can be considered clinical research, mainly because many publications provide a low level of scientific evidence. Most publications are case reports.