Tooth-in-eye surgery, 'blood chimerism,' and a pregnancy from oral sex: 12 wild medical cases we covered in 2025

Low angle photo of three doctors in scrubs, gloves, and masks operating on a patient who is out of the frame. .

Each week, Live Science highlights an intriguing case report from the medical literature, where we explore unusual symptoms, rarely seen diagnoses and out-of-the-box treatments. Through this "Diagnostic Dilemma" series, we describe how doctors work to ultimately discover the cause of a patient's ailment. In complex cases, this diagnostic process can be quite arduous. That's part of why doctors share case reports: to help other medical professionals who might be facing the same puzzle.

Here are 12 of our most intriguing Diagnostic Dilemmas from the past year. (If descriptions of medical symptoms and procedures make you squeamish, proceed with caution.)