Submitting Case Reports

Case reports are original observations related to patient care. Cases should increase awareness of a condition, suggest the proper diagnostic strategy, or demonstrate a more cost-effective approach to management. A case can represent an unusual presentation of a relatively common condition, include an unusual complication of a disease and its management, or be a rare condition not frequently seen. Authors should consider the message or lesson that the case can deliver to the journal’s readership.

KJM does not publish case report reviews/literature reviews or case series. 

CASE REPORT Submission Requirements

Submissions that do not include these requirements will be declined.

  • Cover Letter to the Editor
  • Main Document
    • Title Page
    • Abbreviations List
    • Main Text (1,500 words max)
    • References (30 max)
    • Keywords using MeSH terms from PubMed (5 max)
  • Tables/Figures when possible (3 combined max)
  • Permission to Use Documentation (if applicable)

Important Details For Each Requirement

Please review each section carefully. We cannot accept submissions that do not meet these requirements.

[+] Cover Letter to the Editor

Cover letter addressed to the Editor that includes the corresponding author’s name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address, and identifies the manuscript category (e.g., Original Research, Review, Case Report). The cover letter also should include a publishing statement confirming that the manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration by another journal. If this is not the case, please provide an explanation.

[+] Main Document

The main manuscript file must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document. The main text should be double-spaced and formatted in 12-point Times New Roman font, left-aligned, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Pages should be numbered consecutively in the footer, beginning with the title page as page 1. Use italics rather than underlining, except for URL addresses. Do not include line numbers. Avoid using double spaces between sentences or paragraphs. Paragraphs should be indented one-half inch. See Manuscript Preparation | Kansas Journal of Medicine for more detail. The main manuscript document should include the following:

[+] Title Page

The title page (page 1) should contain:

  • Title:  A concise and informative title.
  • Short Title:  An identified short running head.
  • Author Names & Affiliations:  The first name (spelled out), middle initial, and last name of each author with highest academic degree(s) and institutional affiliation. Medical student authors should be labeled based on their academic year (MS-1, MS-2, MS-3, MS-4).
  • Author Emails:  Email addresses of each author.
  • Institution Name:  The name of the department(s) and institution(s) to which the work is attributed.
  • Disclaimers:  Any disclaimer. If you have no official institutional or personal disclaimer to declare, you should explicitly state "None."
  • Corresponding Author:  Contact information for the corresponding author.
  • Support Disclosure:  The source(s) of support in the form of grants, equipment, and/or drugs. If the work described in the manuscript has been formally presented at a scientific meeting, provide the name of the organization, date, and location of the meeting.
  • AI Use Disclosure:  The Kansas Journal of Medicine encourages authors to appropriately use technology throughout the research process. Software that uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML) may be used. However, it does not permit the inclusion of ML tools, such as ChatGPT, as authors. If any such tool is used to generate drafts of the submitted manuscript, it must be explicitly disclosed. Learn more about the Use of Artificial Intelligence for Authors on our Submissions page.
  • Acknowledgements:  One or more statements should specify (1) contributions that need acknowledging but do not justify authorship; (2) acknowledgments of technical help; (3) acknowledgments of financial and material support, specifying the nature of the support; and (4) financial relationships that may pose a conflict of interest (adapted from ICMJE).
  • Author Approval Statement:  A statement confirming that each author has reviewed and approved the content of the manuscript.
[+] Abbreviations List

A list of abbreviations used in the manuscript should be provided on a separate page following the title page. Include abbreviations and spelled out meaning.

[+] Abstract

Case Reports do not require abstracts.

[+] Main Text

Manuscripts report on interesting and unusual clinical cases that provide insight into clinical practice and generate hypotheses for clinical research. The manuscript should include a review of past published relevant cases, a detailed description of the case or vignette, a discussion of why the case or vignette is unique and adds to past published literature, and implications for subsequent developments in clinical practice, teaching, or research. The Kansas Journal of Medicine limits Case Reports to a maximum of 1,500 words. This word count limit does not include the title page, references, or keywords.

[+] Introduction

Case reports begin with a short evidence-based introduction. This typically describes the context of the case and explains its relevance and importance.

[+] Case Report

Describe in sequence the history, physical examination, investigative studies, and the patient's progress and outcome. Be complete without obscuring the essence of the case with irrelevant details. Avoid the use of medical jargon and excessive reliance on abbreviations. Always spell out the abbreviations the first time they are mentioned.

[+] Discussion

Review the pertinent literature, why clinical decisions were made, and extract the lesson(s) from the case. Make a small number of teaching points in clear and succinct language.

[+] References

References must be formatted according to the guidelines found on the KJM References page.

Important highlights: Where available, PubMed ID (PMID) numbers for the references must be provided. If PMID numbers are not available, provide DOIs. In-text citations should be formatted using superscript Arabic numerals and listed in consecutive order, following punctuation in most cases. References should be listed in 11pt. font.

[+] Keywords

After the reference section, include 2-5 keywords or short phrases that will assist indexers in cross-indexing your article and that may be published with the abstract. Use only terms from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of Index Medicus.

[+] Tables/Figures

For Case Reports, figures/images are limited to a maximum of three (3).

Figures/Images: Cite each figure in the text in consecutive order as Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. Please include a figure legend. Ensure that each illustration has a caption and is visually clear (i.e., not blurry, fuzzy, difficult to read, etc.). Provide captions to illustrations separately, not embedded in the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. Authors should submit figures according to the specifications listed below. Use Times New Roman font in your illustrations. Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text. 

Image Quality: Generally, Authors submit raw image data files to a publishing house in various formats (ppt, pdf, tiff, jpg, xml, etc.). The files are then normalized to produce print or electronic output. The Kansas Journal of Medicine requires the normalized output, which is high-resolution and of sufficient width and quality to be considered archival.

Images generated at low resolution for display purposes are not acceptable. Graphics will be rejected if images are not submitted at or above their intended display size. Intended display size is the physical size of a digital image as it will be displayed in the printed product, website, etc.

Example: Image size is 900 pixels wide by 600 pixels in height, and the resolution is 300 dpi.
Pixel dimension/resolution = physical width
900 pixels/300 dpi = 3 inches physical width
600 pixels/300 dpi = 2 inches physical height
Intended Display Size = 3 x 2 inches

The following image resolutions are accepted: Line Art 800 dpi, Combo (Line Art + Halftone) 600 dpi, Halftone 300 dpi. Image files also must be cropped as close to the actual image as possible.

[+] Permission to Use Documentation (if applicable)

If appropriate, include a copy of the permission to reproduce previously published materials from the publisher or owner of the material; permission to use photographs of identifiable subjects; and permission for the use of personal communications with your submission.

The link below may provide guidance on writing case reports.

Review these resources prior to submission:

 

Last modified: June 18, 2026