[Case reports of deceased patients]

Publishing a patient history or case report fulfills an important role in education and scientific research. However, this requires proper privacy protection. The main rule is that it must be nearly impossible to identify a patient in the presented case. If complete anonymity is not a possible, or if this is doubtful, publication is only possible after the patient's informed consent. But what if such authorization cannot be obtained, e.g. after a patient's death, or due to unknown whereabouts? In such a situation it should be possible to publish these cases, but only after careful consideration of all interests by authors and editorial board, possibly including opinions of the next of kin.