However, despite this case reports of general published descriptions
of clinical observations still have an important role in clinical
medicine, and in the field of infectious diseases [1]. The thorough
examination of histological specimens from gastritis patients that
led to the discovery of Helicobacter pylori later awarded with a Nobel
prize may serve as an example [7]. Another example was the
accumulating reports on Pneumocystis pneumonia and other opportunistic
infections in the early 80’s which ultimately resulted in the
discovery of HIV ([3] and many other reports) and thus again in
Nobel prize winning research. As a ‘‘literal equivalent of bedside
teaching’’ [2] case reports have contributed and perhaps formed a
basis for many important clinical developments in the past. There is
no reason to suspect that they will not do so in future. Indeed, we
strongly feel that the first reports accepted by Medical Mycology
Case Reports (MMCR) provide further evidence for this in highlighting
a potential novel clinical entity in allergic diseases related to
fungi (Singh et al., 2012), pointing towards a potential association
between chronic fungal infection and neoplasm (Delsing et al., 2012)
or proposing new possible routes of dissemination for fungal
pathogens (Camargo et al., 2012).