Boston Medical Mysteries

The Malady and the Melody: Revealed

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:00:00 GMT

Chuck isn't averse to contemporary music, but he can be critical: "Have you heard Mumford and Sons?" he asks me. "They lack all nuance and dynamics," he says. Instead, he's partial to British pop: "the English make pounds and pounds...

The Malady and the Melody

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

In the corridors of the hospital, doctors present cases to each other, leaving out patient names and personal details to focus on the medical facts. But sometimes, a patient's personality, his hobbies, pursuits, and dreams, are inseparable from the course...

Is Running the Boston Marathon Good for You?

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:13:23 GMT

Most of us have heard of Jim Fixx - the celebrity author of The Complete Guide to Running who got America hooked onto jogging. Ironically, he died of a sudden heart attack at a young age of 52 after one...

Revealed: Why was this Boston marathoner suddenly out of shape?

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:47:27 GMT

Several people guessed the answer correctly - exitseven7 figured it out first. A few days later, D found himself in a CAT scanner per his doctor's instructions. "While I was in there, the technician did a test scan first." He...

Why was this Boston marathoner suddenly out of shape?

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:26:00 GMT

This is the case of a real patient. After reading the description of the case, I invite you to guess the patient's diagnosis in the comments section below. The answer will be posted Friday.Why Was This Boston Marathoner Suddenly Out...

Mr. G walked into a mini-epidemic

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Isles of White in a Sea of Red Sometimes, physicians describe a finding as pathognomonic, which means that the finding almost certainly suggest a diagnosis. A good example are the white spots seen on the inside of the cheeks, called...

A Host in Puerto Rico

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

This is the case of a real patient. After reading the description of the case, I invite you to guess the patient's diagnosis. The answer will be posted Friday. Mr. G's photograph of the El Yunque Forest in Puerto RicoOn...

What caused Mrs. C's chronic diarrhea?

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:59:22 GMT

In a previous post, we asked you to try to diagnose our patient, Mrs. C. What follows below is the actual diagnosis, but visit the previous entry if you want to see what folks guessed. Did Mrs. C have a bug? ...

Not an ordinary case of traveler's diarrhea

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:00:00 GMT

This is the case of a real patient treated at a Boston-area hospital. After reading the description of the case, I invite you to submit a comment guessing the cause of the patient's symptoms. The answer will be posted Friday....

Hunting for a Diagnosis - Revealed!

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 05:27:15 GMT

Your Differential Diagnosis:Among the many answers submitted, many of you guessed the correct answer - lead poisoning. The first person to guess correctly was patches2. Congratulations! Almost as many people guessed lyme disease as an alternative diagnosis; other common responses...

Hunting for a Diagnosis

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:00:00 GMT