Instruction to Authors

1. Scope of the Journal

The Journal of Dermatological Case Reports (JDCR) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal publishing original work across all areas of clinical and investigative dermatology, including dermatopathology, dermatologic surgery, dermoscopy and trichoscopy, paediatric and genetic skin disease, cutaneous oncology, infectious and inflammatory dermatoses, and cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease. The journal gives particular priority to instructive and unusual case reports, case series, and clinico-pathological correlations that offer new insights for clinicians.

2. General Formatting

To minimise handling time during submission and peer review, assemble the manuscript as a single, double-spaced electronic document (Microsoft Word, .docx) in the following order:

• Cover Letter (optional)
• Title Page
• Abstract and Keywords
• Main Text
• Acknowledgements, Declarations and Statements
• References
• Figure Legends
• Tables (each on a new page)
• Figures / Illustrations
• Supplementary Materials (if any)

Use a standard 12-point font, double line spacing, and continuous line numbering throughout. Number all pages consecutively beginning with the title page. Low-resolution figures may be embedded in the text file for review; high-resolution files will be requested at acceptance.

3. Cover Letter (optional)

The cover letter should state the question the work answers, its principal findings, and their novelty and importance. It must confirm that all authors have approved the submission and that the manuscript is not under concurrent consideration by any other journal.

4. Title Page

Include, on a dedicated title page:

• The full manuscript title (avoid abbreviations in the title);
• Each author's full name, affiliation/institution, and ORCID iD;
• Full contact details for the corresponding author (postal address, email, telephone);
• Sources of financial support and funding , if any; 
• Word count of the main text; and the number of tables and figures.

JDCR follows the ICMJE criteria for authorship and contributorship. An ORCID iD is required for the corresponding author and strongly encouraged for all co-authors.

5. Abstract and Keywords

Provide an abstract conforming to the structure and word limit specified for the article type (see Section 13). Below the abstract, list 3–6 keywords, separated by semicolons, preferably drawn from the MeSH vocabulary.

6. Required Statements and Declarations

Place the following statements after the main text and before the references. State each explicitly even when the answer is "none" or "not applicable".

6.1 Declaration of Competing Interests

All authors must disclose any financial or personal relationships that could be perceived to bias the work (e.g. employment, consultancy, stock ownership, patents, honoraria, advisory-board membership). If there are none, state: "The authors declare no competing interests."

6.2 Funding

Identify all sources of funding and the role of any funder, or state that the work received no specific funding.

6.3 Ethics Approval and Patient Consent

For case reports, case series, and any study involving identifiable patient data or images, written informed consent for publication must be obtained from the patient (or next of kin/guardian). State that consent was obtained. Studies involving human participants must report the approving ethics committee and reference number; animal studies must report the relevant approval.

6.4 Author Contributions ( recommended) 

Authors may, if they wish, describe each author's contribution, preferably using the CRediT taxonomy. This statement is encouraged but not required.

6.5 Data Availability

Provide a statement indicating whether, and how, the underlying data can be accessed.

6.6 Acknowledgements

Acknowledge contributors who do not meet authorship criteria. Obtain written permission from each named individual before listing them.

7. Reporting Guidelines

Authors must follow the reporting guideline relevant to the study design and upload the completed checklist:

• Case reports — CARE guideline;
• Randomised trials — CONSORT (with trial registration number and, for protocols, the SPIRIT diagram);
• Observational studies — STROBE;
• Systematic reviews / meta-analyses — PRISMA, including a PRISMA flow diagram as Figure 1.
  
  

8. References — NLM (ICMJE / Vancouver) Style

JDCR uses the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) reference style as set out in the NLM/ICMJE Recommendations and Citing Medicine. Observe the following rules:

• Number references consecutively in the order of first appearance in the text. Cite them in the text, tables, and legends using Arabic numerals in square brackets, placed before the punctuation, e.g. [1], [2,3], [18,19,20]. List each number separated by commas rather than using a dash range.
• References cited only in a table or figure legend are numbered according to the first mention of that table or figure in the text.
• List all authors when six or fewer; when seven or more, list the first six followed by "et al."
• Abbreviate journal titles according to the NLM/MEDLINE catalogue. End the journal abbreviation, year, volume, issue, and pages without spaces, as shown below.
• Include the DOI at the end of the reference when one is available.
• Verify every citation against PubMed or the original source. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all references.
  
  

Sample references

1. Journal article (≤6 authors): Gottlieb DJ, Punjabi NM, Mehra R, Patel SR, Quan SF, Babineau DC. CPAP versus oxygen in obstructive sleep apnea. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(24):2276-85. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1306766.
2. Journal article (≥7 authors): Author AA, Author BB, Author CC, Author DD, Author EE, Author FF, et al. Title of the article. J Invest Dermatol. 2023;143(5):812-20.
3. Journal article, advance online publication: Author AA, Author BB. Title of the article. J Am Acad Dermatol. Published online March 4, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2025.02.011.
4. Whole book: Bolognia JL, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L. Dermatology. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2018.
5. Book chapter: Meltzer PS, Kallioniemi A, Trent JM. Chromosome alterations in human solid tumors. In: Vogelstein B, Kinzler KW, editors. The genetic basis of human cancer. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002. p. 93-113.
6. Organisation as author / web page: World Health Organization. Experts advise WHO on pandemic vaccine policies and strategies [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2009 [cited 2009 Dec 16]. Available from: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/notes/briefing_20091030/en/index.html
7. Thesis / dissertation: Author AA. Title of dissertation [dissertation]. City: University; Year.
   8. Conference paper: Author AA, Author BB. Title of paper. In: Editor CC, editor. Proceedings of the conference; Year Month Day-Day; City, Country. City: Publisher; Year. p. 00-00.
   
   

9. Tables

Double-space each table (including footnotes) and give it a short, self-explanatory title. Number tables consecutively in order of first citation. Give each column a brief heading. Place explanatory material in footnotes, not in the heading, and explain all non-standard abbreviations there using symbols in the sequence *, †, ‡, §. Identify statistical measures of variation such as standard deviation and standard error. Obtain permission for, and acknowledge, any material reproduced from another source.

10. Figures (Illustrations)

Submit figures in a format suitable for print, professionally drawn or photographed at high resolution (clinical and histopathological images at a minimum of 300 dpi). Number figures consecutively in order of citation. For previously published figures, acknowledge the source and supply written permission from the copyright holder. Provide figure legends on a separate page; where symbols, arrows, numbers, or letters identify parts of an illustration, explain each clearly in the legend. Identifiable patient images require written consent for publication.

11. Units, Abbreviations, and Drug Names

Express measurements in conventional units with SI units in parentheses. Use only standard abbreviations; define each non-standard abbreviation at first mention as the spelled-out term followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, and avoid abbreviations in the title. Use generic drug names; when a proprietary product is studied, give the brand name and manufacturer in parentheses at first mention in the Methods.

12. Article Types and Limits

JDCR publishes the article types listed below. Limits are maxima; concise manuscripts are preferred. The asterisked Case Report limits reflect the journal's published practice for short clinico-pathological reports — contact the editorial office if a longer report is justified.

13. Article-Type Notes

Original Research Article

Scientific reports of original clinical or laboratory research in dermatology. Structure the main text as Introduction (≤500 words), Methods, Results, and Discussion. Priority is given to novel findings relevant to patient care and outcomes.

Case Report

Describes unusual, instructive, or challenging dermatological cases, novel techniques, or new disease insights with clear clinical value. Structure as Background, Case Presentation, Discussion, and Take-Home Messages (3–5 bullet points). Case reports are not appropriate for demonstrating the efficacy of a drug or treatment. Written patient consent for publication is mandatory.

Review Article

Comprehensive, scholarly overviews of clinical or investigative topics, with the principal focus on developments of the preceding five years. Reviews undergo the same peer review as Original Articles.

Study Protocol

Protocols for proposed or ongoing prospective trials, with a trial registration number and full background, rationale, and methodology. Protocols of randomised trials must include the SPIRIT diagram.

Editorial, Opinion, Medical Image, and Letter to the Editor

See the table for limits. Medical Image submissions comprise a publication-quality image with one to two paragraphs of descriptive text; authorship is limited to three. Opinion articles are limited to five authors. The Editor may edit and abridge letters in line with journal style.

14. Submission, Charges, and Licence

Submit manuscripts through the journal's online submission system. JDCR is an open-access journal; corresponding authors should review the Article Processing Charges before submission. Accepted articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original work is properly cited.

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This is an open-access article, published by Kuwait Scientific Society. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format for any lawful purpose. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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Under the principle of caveat emptor, users of the journal’s content are expected to exercise independent judgment and due diligence. While the publisher and editorial team undertake rigorous peer review and quality checks, no representation or warranty is made regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the content. The use of any information remains at the reader’s own risk