American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

In which type of study is an in-depth analysis of a single individual conducted?

1. Case series study

2. Case report study

3. Cohort study

4. Randomized controlled trial

The correct answer is: Case report study

A case report study involves a detailed and thorough investigation of a single individual's medical condition, treatment, or outcome. This type of study serves to document unique or novel cases that may not yet be well-established in existing literature. Through a case report, the clinician can highlight specific features of a patient's condition, treatment responses, or side effects that could lead to a better understanding of the disease or illness. Case reports can provide valuable insights, especially in the context of rare diseases, unusual presentations of common diseases, or unexpected responses to treatments. The focus on an individual case allows for a richness of detail that broader studies may not capture, thereby providing a strong basis for generating hypotheses or further research. In contrast, a case series study examines a group of patients with a similar condition, while cohort studies involve comparing outcomes in groups with different exposures, and randomized controlled trials are structured to assess the efficacy of interventions across participant groups. Therefore, the specificity of a case report in dealing with one person's experience makes it the correct answer.