I read with interest the recent letter to the editor by the listeriosis patient, the response from the authors, and the editorial note.[1]
There was an apology regarding patient consent for publication from the editor-in-chief of a different journal 10 years ago.[2,3]
It is a good idea to have in place a written consent from a patient whose case history is being published. However, caution should be exercised for too strict a guideline.
The author reported a case of Munchausen’s syndrome presenting as prevarication anaphylaxis.[4] This report and other interesting cases from our psychiatry colleagues may not be published if the guideline on patient consent for publication is strictly followed.
—H.C. George Wong, MD Vancouver