This book describes symptoms that are, at first, mystifying. No one knows exactly what is wrong with the patient. To get to the bottom of it, tests are performed, medications are tried, and then someone says, “I’ve seen that before – it’s this very rare condition.” Appropriate treatment is administered, and the patient improves or is cured.

The book is organized by type of symptom (e.g., headaches, rashes, fevers, unexplained weakness, etc.), supported by short magazine-style articles for each case. It is written in (mostly) non-technical terminology and does not require advanced scientific knowledge. The cases are all from the United States, except one from the Caribbean.

It will appeal to those who are curious about unusual medical conditions. I can see value in it for medical professionals who may encounter them. But I would not read it in the expectation of finding out the answer to a current pressing medical question related to your own health, as the situations described in this book are extremely rare.
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I love the mystery solving that goes into diagnosis, and this book has many examples. I actually watched her show on Netflix back in 2019, but somehow did not realize there was a book until I saw it on bookstagram last week.

I don;t think the show is a rehash of this book, as nothing struck me as familiar. The individual profiles are all very interesting, as is her belief in crowd-sourcing diagnostics. All family members are encouraged to give info, and residents and students are all brought into the diagnosis. Because anyone could have that one little bit of info that strikes someone else as key. ( )

the book reads like a series of mystery stories. ( )

In 2019, shortly after getting an internet connection that could handle Netflix, I discovered a great new show. That show was Diagnosis, which was a reality TV show but not in the way you are likely thinking. Each episode told the story of a person who was unable to get a diagnosis of what was wrong with them. The story and video were then published on The New York Times’ website with the world offering their thoughts on possible diagnoses. Sometimes, the patient was able to find a diagnosis in the crowd of suggestions. Sometimes not. But it shows that when you put a group of minds together, they can achieve great things.

Diagnosis is a collation on Lisa Sanders’ columns in The New York Times discussing rare, strange and missed diagnoses. It’s a fascinating look into how a diagnosis and differential diagnoses are made based on symptoms, test results and what the patient says. The overarching message is to listen to the patient and what they tell you. Like any good mystery, the evidence is often there and can sometimes be solved. (I did find this interesting given that Lisa was an adviser and inspiration for House M.D. – and we all know and parrot his line, ‘all patients lie’). The book is divided into sections, depending on the patient’s predominant symptom (e.g. fever, stomach pain). Reading each section demonstrates the variety of diseases and diagnoses that can come from a similar symptom. Each case is laid out as if the patient is in the hospital, presenting their symptoms. Their past medical history and previous tests are laid out. Imaging and examination results are mentioned. It’s very well done in that the reader can try to work out the neatly summarised problem. Alternative diagnoses are explored and finally, the patient is diagnosed and treated.

As well as listening to the patient, teamwork and collaboration between doctors and specialties is also a strong theme. No one person knows everything, so discussion with colleagues and contacts is highly important. There’s also the good luck element – if you’ve seen one of these rare cases before, you are much more likely to spot it based on experience. (For example, there is one case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Being fascinated by this syndrome and Japanese, I’ve read a lot about it and seen some cases. This one jumped out at me. But I’ve never been to the Caribbean nor worked in a tropical area, so diseases specific to the tropics don’t stick in my head so well. But I do know some people who are especially knowledgeable).

My only complaint with the book is that everything is wrapped up neatly in a particular word count which is indicative of the newspaper columns they came from! I’d love to see an extended case in print. Overall, the book is explained brilliantly to both the lay person and medical staff and written in a way that respects all involved, from the patient to those who didn’t make the diagnosis. Just try and stop yourself after you promise ‘just one more chapter’.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

Diagnosis: Solving the Most Baffling Medical Mysteries by [Sanders, Lisa]It has been a while since I have read a non-fiction medical book. When I did read them, they would fascinate me. Each case took me right into the medicine of the case. None of them are long, however, at times I would catch myself dissecting the technical language and forget about the people involved.

I felt detached from the cases instead of being in the center of it.

For readers who enjoy medical non-fiction concerning complex cases, I would recommend this. ( )