Five shocking and instructive medical cases that stood out in 2025

This year produced a roster of extraordinary medical cases—some stemming from bad luck, others from risky choices. An editorial selection informed by reader interest highlights five of the most horrifying and fascinating reports; one person from Florida appears twice. Fortunately, none of the cases resulted in death.

5. A 59-year-old man in China vomited so violently after eating street food that he ruptured his esophagus—Boerhaave syndrome. His chest filled with fluid and his right lung began collapsing. Emergency surgery and intensive care saved him; he spent 35 days in hospital and then three months on a feeding tube while his esophagus healed.

4. A 30-year-old woman in New England developed searing, migrating pain that later progressed to mental fog. Physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital diagnosed infection with Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm), with larvae tracked along peripheral nerves toward the brain.

Doctors suspect exposure from raw seafood and salads during a trip to Hawaii. She was treated and made a full recovery. 3. A 36-year-old man who had been drinking arrived with abdominal pain, crackling in his lungs, bacteremia, liver abnormalities, a small-intestine injury, and a kidney blood clot.

Key Topics

Health, Medical Cases, Food Safety, Parasites, Biothreat, Cholesterol