April 16, 1999

The New England Journal of Medicine recently began a feature on its website called "What's the Diagnosis?" – a spinoff from its regular magazine feature "Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital."

The Case Records have appeared in the journal since 1924 and are derived from the Cabot Clinicopathological Conferences (CPCs), which take place every Thursday, noon to 1 pm, in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. Prepared by members of the MGH Pathology Department, each CPC challenges a guest speaker to deduce the diagnosis of an anonymous MGH patient. The conferences were created at the MGH by Richard C. Cabot, MD, in the early 1900s for medical students, but today they welcome physicians and health professionals of all levels.

"What's the Diagnosis?" which is accessible on the journal's website (www.nejm.org), will present a different case at the beginning of each month. The same case, along with its diagnosis, will be published as a Case Record in a subsequent issue of the journal. This month, "What's the Diagnosis?" is presenting the case of a 67-year-old man with a three-year history of dementia. The Case Record will appear in the April 22 issue of the journal.

Currently, the CPC office of the Pathology Department is developing its own website that will offer archival and up-to-date CPC abstracts. The website soon will be accessible through the MGH homepage as well as linked to the journal's website.

The next CPC presentation is April 22, noon to 1 pm, in the O'Keeffe Auditorium. Two MGHers, James Allan, MD, of Surgery, and Eric Sheffer, MD, of Pathology, will discuss the case of a 75-year-old man with dysphagia.

For more information about upcoming CPC's taking place at the MGH or appearing in the journal or on its website, call 6-8897.