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Introduction



JACC: Case Reports is an open access journal serving as a forum for promoting clinical cases and clinical problem solving. It will accept every day educational or rare clinical cases, well described and with clear learning objectives. Furthermore, the journal aims to serve as a publication vehicle for early career cardiologists and members of the cardiovascular care team, and as a forum for mentorship on the review and publication process.

We request that all manuscripts be submitted online at https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org.

Manuscript submissions should conform to the guidelines set forth in the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE Recommendations),” available online and most recently updated in December 2019.

SUBMISSION DECLARATION AND VERIFICATION

Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract, a published lecture or academic thesis, see 'Multiple, redundant or concurrent publication' for more information), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, including electronically without the written consent of the copyright-holder. To verify originality, your article may be checked by the originality detection service Crossref Similarity Check.

ARTICLE TYPES

JACC: Case Reports publishes the following manuscript types:
  • Clinical Cases
  • Clinical Case Series
  • Global Health Reports
  • Heart Care Team/Multidisciplinary Team Live
  • ECG Challenge
  • Clinical Vignette
  • DaVinci Corner
  • Technical Corner
  • Quality Improvement Projects
  • Letter to the Editor/Reply to a Letter to the Editor
  • Voices in Cardiology
  • Viewpoints

Joint corresponding authors or more than 2 first or senior authors are not permitted for any article type.

Templates are available for some formats. Please click on the links at the end of each description to download a template.

CLINICAL CASES
Clinical cases or case reports should focus on the clinical presentation of the patient, patient management, differential diagnosis, or treatment. There should be educational value associated with current guideline-recommended practice. From clinical manifestations and interventional approaches to global health implications, clinical cases should focus on how to deal with a patient in clinical practice, regardless of whether the condition is rare or common. Click here for a template to use in formatting your submission: https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org/html/CCTemplate.docx
  • Word count: No more than 1,500 words (text from after the abstract to the conclusion, including references and figure titles/legends)
  • Authors: No more than 10
  • Abstract: Required 50 words or less. Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figure/Table Limit: No limit
  • Videos: No more than 10
  • Reference Limit: No more than 10
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of supplemental figures and tables
  • Learning Objectives: Required

Sample Learning Objectives:

Example Case: A patient who presented with dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to pheochromocytoma

  1. To be able to make a differential diagnosis of cardiomyopathies with multimodality imaging
  2. To understand the role of extracardiac causes in the development of cardiomyopathies

For further instructions on how to write high-quality Learning Objectives, please download the guide: https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org/html/Objectives.docx.

In that case, we will work together with the authors to add 2-3 CME questions after acceptance of the paper. The editorial board will select certain cases for a central illustration. Authors will be notified and they will work with a professional illustrator and the editors to create the illustration.

How to write a clinical case

Articles should be laid out as follows:

  • Title: 15 words or less. Hyphenated words count as a single word, and single terms comprising 2 words also count as a single word (i.e., de novo, in situ, in vivo, ex vivo).
  • Abstract: 50 words or less
  • History of Presentation: how the patient was admitted, physical examination
  • Past Medical History
  • Differential Diagnosis
  • Investigations
  • Management (medical/interventions)
  • Discussion: association with current guidelines/position papers/current practice
  • Follow-Up
  • Conclusions
  • Learning Objectives

CLINICAL CASE SERIES
These should consist of 2 or more clinical cases/patients of the same clinical condition and should include a description of patients' presentation, diagnostic work-up, interventions, and outcomes (Patient 1, Patient 2, etc.). Relevant images should be included. The case presentation should be structured in stages, with expert commentary supplied between stages, in order to aid and educate the reader about key differential diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. At the end, a discussion of the case along with “take-home messages” should be given. Click here for a template to use in formatting your submission: https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org/html/CCSTemplate.docx
  • Authors: No more than 15
  • Abstract: Required (50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Word count: No more than 1,500 words, including references
  • Figures/Tables: No limit
  • Videos: No more than 10
  • References: No more than 10
  • Learning Objectives: Required
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of supplemntal figures and tables.

GLOBAL HEALTH REPORTS
We encourage reports of global health cases and medicine practiced in unusual settings, such as humanitarian work, refugee health, conflict, humanitarian aid, telemedicine and e-health, and health innovations. Global health case reports should focus on initiatives or programs that can make an impact on individual patient's lives. These short reports demonstrate major advances in healthcare in developing countries. The Journal also offers a discount of 50% on article publishing charges (APCs), if the first/corresponding or senior author is from a developing country.
  • Authors: No more than 5
  • Abstract: Required (50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Word count: No more than 1,200 words, including references
  • Figures/Tables: No more than 10
  • Videos: No more than 10
  • References: No more than 5
  • Learning Objectives: Required
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of supplemental figures and tables.

HEART CARE TEAM/MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM LIVE
Represents step-by-step emergence of information/developments in clinical practice and describes how clinicians/clinical teams reason and respond in each iteration. Please review an example here.

Click here for a template to use in formatting your submission: https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org/html/HCTMDTTemplate.docx

Where relevant, the editorial board may select specific cases that are eligible for CME/MOC/ECME content and we will work together with the authors to develop this initiative and to make the clinical case interactive and of CME value. It will be also highlighted every month on our issue as a CME/MOC/ECME case. Authors of accepted cases will be invited to write the 6 CME questions after acceptance of the paper.

We will follow the same guidelines as clinical case submission; however, the word count may be increased up to 2,000 words.

  • Word limit: No more than 1,500 words (text from after the abstract to the conclusion, including references and figure legends)
  • Authors: No more than 10
  • Abstract: Required (50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figure/Tables: No limit: None
  • Videos: No more than 10
  • Clinical Perspectives: Required
  • References: No more than 10
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of figures and tables.

ECG CHALLENGE
Interesting ECG tracings will be considered. Authors will submit a case with an ECG tracing (deleting all patient information including identification of the hospital). The case description should be followed by a multiple choice question, followed by the correct answer and discussion elaborating correct/incorrect answers. A guide to writing high-quality multiple choice questions is available here. Description of clinical presentation and background history of the patient is very important. Click here for a template to use in formatting your submission: https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org//html/ECGTemplate.docx
  • Word limit: No more than 500 words. References NOT included in the word count.
  • Authors: No more than 5
  • Abstract: Required (50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figures/Videos: No more than 1 of either. The figure may have up to 6 panels. Videos should be no longer than 2 minutes.
  • References: No more than 3
  • Supplemental Material: Unlimited number of figures and tables.

Each month, the Editorial Board will select an ECG of the Month to be highlighted on the journal's website and promoted on https://www.acc.org and through the ACC's marketing and social media channels.

CLINICAL VIGNETTE
Clinical images of interesting or rare of clinical entities, including multimodality imaging or interventions or even electrophysiology/devices with brief explanatory text. Click here for a template to use in formatting your submission: https://www.jaccsubmit-casereports.org/html/CVTemplate.docx
  • Word limit: No more than 500 words. References are NOT included in the word count.
  • Authors: No more than 5
  • Abstract: Required (50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figures: No more than 1 of either. The figure may have up to 6 panels. Videos should be no longer than 2 minutes.
  • References: No more than 3
  • Videos: No more than 5. Videos should be no longer than 2 minutes.
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of supplemental figures and tables

Download the Clinical Vignette template.

DAVINCI ANATOMY CORNER
Each selected case will include anatomical, histological and/or radiological images and may be accompanied by an editorial comment focusing on the challenges and learning points from each case. Unique to our journal, some cases will include an STL or PDF file of a virtual 3D printed model, which can be downloaded by our readers and opened on any web browser or imaging software to allow a comprehensive 3D visualization and review of the pertinent anatomy. Cases from around the world will be accessible to our entire audience as teaching material or pre-procedural educational tools for similar cases they encounter in practice.
  • Word count: no more than 1,500 words (text from after the abstract to the conclusion, including references and figure legends)
  • Authors: No more than 10
  • Abstract: Required: 50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figure/Table Limit: None
  • Reference Limit: 10
  • Videos: No more than 10
  • Supplemental Material: Unlimited number of supplemental figures or tables
  • Learning Objectives: Required

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
These manuscripts will describe small studies, clinical initiatives and operational activities with the end goal of measuring and enhancing quality of care. These can be formatted as structured abstracts.
  • Word count: no more than 1500 words (text from after the abstract to the conclusion, including references and figure titles/legends)
  • Authors: No more than 10
  • Abstract: Required: 50 words or less. Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figure/Table Limit: None
  • Videos: no more than 10
  • Reference Limit: No more than 10
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of supplemental figures and tables.
  • Learning Objectives: Preferred, not required
Articles should be laid out as follows:
  • Title: 15 words or less. Hyphenated words count as a single word, and single terms comprising 2 words also count as a single word (i.e., de novo, in situ, in vivo, ex vivo).
  • Abstract: 50 words or less
  • Background
  • Objectives
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Conclusions

TECHNICAL CORNER
Our aim is to introduce advanced techniques or “first-in-human” approaches to help colleagues across the world understand innovation. This will encourage our understanding between different places of the world. A Technical Corner manuscript may be accompanied by an editorial by a worldwide expert on “how to” or “tips and tricks.”
  • Word count: no more than 1500 words (text from after the abstract to the conclusion, including references and figure legends)
  • Authors: No more than 10
  • Abstract: Required: 50 words or less). Abstracts not included in word count.
  • Figure/Table: No limit
  • References Limit: No more than 10
  • Appendices: Unlimited supplemental figures or tables
  • Videos: No more than 10
  • Learning Objectives: Required

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND REPLIES
Letters to the Editor will focus on a specific manuscript that has been published in JACC: Case Reports. Letters must be submitted within 3 months of the issue date of the article. We will seek a reply to your letter from the authors of the original paper and publish together, when possible. JACC: Case Reports does not consider letters to the editor on editorials.
  • Word count: No more than 400 words, including references and a figure legend, if applicable
  • Title page: Required
  • Title: Unique title of 15 words or less that does not include the title of the original research paper
  • Authors: No more than 5; no joint authorship permitted
  • Figures/Tables: No more than 1 simple figure (in no more than 2 parts) or a simple table
  • References: No more than 5
  • Please include the cited article as the first reference

VOICES IN CARDIOLOGY
These articles focus on topics on the human side of patient care from all perspectives: from the senior level physician to the early career cardiologist or fellow in training, as well as the patient. We would welcome essays exploring the patient-physician relationship or providing the patients' perspectives, taken from experiences in medicine. We also accept personal views and testimonials that affect the profession, but substantive in nature.

In terms of style, they must be formal in their presentation, as these are not blogs, and include citations (if relevant). Fictional stories or from fake accounts are not allowed. Manuscripts may not be published anonymously or pseudonymously.

  • Word limit: No more than 1,500 words
  • Authors: No more than 3
  • Figures/Tables: No more than 2
  • References: Not required, if included, no more than 3
  • Appendices: Unlimited number of supplemental figures and tables

MANUSCRIPT ORGANIZATION

  • Cover letter: A short paragraph telling the editors why the authors think their paper merits publication may be included in the cover letter. Potential reviewers may be suggested in the cover letter, as well as reviewers to avoid. However, final reviewer assignment is determined by the editors.
  • Rebuttal letter (revisions or appeals only). This should be formatted as a point-by-point response to the editor/reviewer comments and marked on the submission site as a rebuttal letter.
  • Manuscript file (see individual manuscript types and Manuscript Content for specific formatting, and you may also email [email protected] for a template on how to format your submission)

•The entire manuscript (including tables) should be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document, with 1-inch margins and use Times New Roman 12 pt as the font. The title page, including keywords and abbreviations, should be single-spaced. All text from after the abstract to the end (including tables) should be double-spaced. Page numbering should start with the title page.

•Title: 15 words or less. Hyphenated words count as a single word, and single terms comprising 2 words also count as a single word (i.e., de novo, in situ, in vivo, ex vivo).

•Page 1: Title page: See also Manuscript Content, below

•Page 2: Key Words, Abbreviations list, abstract

•Text

•Learning Objectives

•References

•Figure titles and legends, including a title and caption for each figure

•Tables, each on a separate page

  • Figures
  • Supplemental material

Please upload all supplemental materials, except for videos, as one separately uploaded Word document, labeled Supplemental Appendix. This should include all supplemental text, tables and figures, and figure legends.

Page numbering should begin with the title page.

VIEWPOINTS

These articles focus on topics on a topic which is applicable to the medical society but doesn't reflect a personal experience or a patient story, from the senior level physician to the early career cardiologist or fellow in training.

Fictional stories or from fake accounts are not allowed.

Manuscripts may not be published anonymously or pseudonymously.

  • Word limit: No more than 2000 words
  • Authors: No more than 10
  • Figures/Tables: No more than 2
  • References: Not required, if included, no more than 5
  • Videos: No more than 5
  • Supplemental Material: Unlimited number of supplemental figures and tables

Manuscript organization:

  • Cover Letter: A short paragraph telling the editors why the authors think their paper merits publication may be included in the cover letter. Potential reviewers may be suggested in the cover letter, as well as reviewers to avoid. However, final reviewer assignment is determined by the editors.
  • Rebuttal Letter (revisions or appeals only): This should be formatted as a point-by-point response to the editor/reviewer comments and marked on the submission site as a rebuttal letter.
  • Manuscript file (see individual manuscript types and Manuscript Content for specific formatting, and you may also email [email protected] for a template on how to format your submission)
  • The entire manuscript (including tables) should be uploaded as a Microsoft Word document, with 1-inch margins and use Times New Roman 12 pt. as the font. The title page, including keywords and abbreviations, should be single-spaced. All text from after the abstract to the end (including tables) should be double-spaced. Page numbering should start with the title page.
  • Title: 15 words or less. Hyphenated words count as a single word, and single terms comprising 2 words also count as a single word (i.e., de novo, in situ, in vivo, ex vivo).
  • Page 1: Title page: See also Manuscript Content, below
  • Page 2: Key Words, Abbreviations list
  • Text
  • Learning Objectives: Core Clinical Competencies and Translational Outlook implications (on a separate page after the conclusions
  • References
  • Figure titles and legends, including a title and caption for each figure
  • Tables, each on a separate page
  • Figures
  • Supplemental material

Please upload all online materials, except for videos, as one separately uploaded Word document, labeled Supplemental Appendix. This should include all supplemental text, tables and figures, and figure legends). Page numbering should begin with the title page.

Manuscript Content

The order in which these items appear should also be the order in which they appear in your submission.

TITLE PAGE
  • Title (no more than 15 words) and brief title of no more than 45 characters. Hyphenated words count as a single word, and single terms comprising 2 words also count as a single word (i.e., de novo, in situ, in vivo, ex vivo).
  • Authors' names (including full first name, middle initial, and degrees-MD, PhD, etc.)
  • Total word count
  • Departments and institutions with which the authors are affiliated. Indicate the specific affiliations if the work is generated from more than 1 institution (use superscript letters a, b, c, d, and so on). List only the departments and institutions for co-authors. The full address is required for the corresponding author.
  • Funding: Information on grants, contracts, and other forms of financial support. List the cities and states of all foundations, funds, and institutions involved in the work. If there was no funding, this should be stated.
  • Disclosures: This must include the full disclosure of any relationship with industry. (See Relationship with Industry section.) If there was no funding, this should be stated.
  • Corresponding author contact information: Under the heading, “Address for correspondence,” provide the full name and complete postal address of the author to whom communications should be sent. Also provide telephone and fax numbers, an e-mail address, and a Twitter handle, if available. Please also provide a short tweet summarizing your paper to your title page. The tweet should be approximately 150 characters, including spaces. Please note that the editors will review your content, and it may not ultimately be published on the @JACCJournals Twitter account. The corresponding author will be the sole contact for all submission queries.
  • Acknowledgements: 100 words or less. Letters of permission from all individuals listed in the acknowledgments are the responsibility of the corresponding author.

KEYWORDS
Provide a maximum of 6 key words, identical to the keywords chosen in the online submission platform, using American spelling and avoiding general and plural terms and multiple concepts (avoid, for example, 'and,' 'of'). Be sparing with abbreviations. These key words will be used for indexing purposes, and therefore should be different than the terms/words already used in the title of the paper. Authors may select up to two additional freeform keywords that may or may not be used to index a manuscript online.

ABBREVIATIONS
Up to 10 abbreviations of common terms (e.g., ECG, PTCA, CABG) or acronyms (GUSTO, SOLVD, TIMI) may be used throughout the manuscript. On a separate page, list the selected abbreviations and their definitions (e.g., TEE = transesophageal echocardiography). The editors will determine which lesser-known terms should not be abbreviated. Consult “ Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE Recommendations)” for appropriate use of units of measure.

TEXT
Use Times New Roman 12 pt font. Every reference, figure, table, and video should be cited in the text in numerical order according to order of mention.

REFERENCES

  • Identify references in the text by numbers in parentheses on the line. Do not use superscripted EndNotes for references.
  • The reference list should be typed double-spaced on pages separate from the text; references must be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are mentioned in the text. List all authors if 6 or fewer, otherwise list the first 3 and add “et al.” Do not use periods after author initials.
  • Do not cite personal communications, manuscripts in preparation, or other unpublished data in the references; these may be cited in the text in parentheses. Do not cite abstracts that are older than 2 years. Identify abstracts by the 2010 Sept 28 [E-pub ahead “abstr” in parentheses. If letters to the editor are cited, identify them with the word “letter” in parentheses. Websites must be cited as references.
  • Use Index Medicus (National Library of Medicine) abbreviations for journal titles. It is important to note that when citing an article from the JACC: Case Reports, the correct citation format is J Am Coll Cardiol Case Rep.
  • Use the following style and punctuation for references:

•Periodical. Do not use periods after the authors' initials. Please provide all page numbers: Example: “5. Glantz SA. It is all in the numbers. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993;21:835-837.”

•DOI-based citation for an article in press.

—If the ahead-of-print date is known, please provide. EXAMPLE: “16. Winchester D, Wen X, Xie L, et al. Evidence for pre-procedural statin therapy: meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online Sept 28, 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2010.09.028

—If the ahead-of-print date is unknown, please omit. EXAMPLE: “16. Winchester D, Wen X, Xie L, et al. Evidence for pre-procedural statin therapy: meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Am Coll Cardiol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2010.09.028

•Chapter in book. Provide author(s), chapter title, editor(s), book title, publisher location, publisher name, year, and inclusive page numbers. EXAMPLE: “27. Meidell RS, Gerard RD, Sambrook JF. Molecular biology of thrombolytic agents. In: Roberts R, editor. Molecular Basis of Cardiology. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1993:295-324.”

•Book (personal author or authors.) Provide a specific (not inclusive) page number. EXAMPLE: “23. Cohn PF. Silent Myocardial Ischemia and Infarction. 3rd edition. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, 1993:33.”

•Online media. Provide specific URL address and date information was accessed. EXAMPLE: “10. Henkel J. Testicular Cancer: Survival High With Early Treatment. FDA Consumer magazine [serial online]. January-February 1996. Accessed August 31, 1998. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/196_test.html. ”

•Material presented at a meeting but not published. Provide authors, presentation title, full meeting title, meeting dates, and meeting location. EXAMPLE: “20. Eisenberg J. Market forces and physician workforce reform: why they may not work. Paper presented at: Annual Meeting of the Association of Medical Colleges; October 28, 1995; Washington, DC.”

FIGURES

All figures must have a number, title, and caption. Figure legends should be an in-depth explanation of each figure, including a figure TITLE, and a CAPTION that includes the purpose of the figure, and brief method, results, and discussion statements pertaining to the figure. All abbreviations used in the figure should be identified either after their first mention in the legend or in alphabetical order at the end of each legend. All symbols used (arrows, circles, etc.) must be explained. Target length should be 50-100 words per figure.
  • Figures should be provided in 300 DPI TIF format.
  • Figures should be cited in numerical order in the text, and as separate citations (Figures 1, 2, and 3, not Figures 1 to 3).
  • Supplemental figures should be cited as “Supplemental Figure 1, Supplemental Figure 2,” etc.
  • Figure titles should be short and followed by a 2 to 3 sentence caption.
  • If the figure has been previously published, cite the figure source in the legend.
  • All abbreviations used in the figure should be identified in alphabetical order at the end of each legend (see also Figures).

VIDEOS

Videos should be uploaded as mp4 files. Videos are crucial when referring to an imaging modality where video sequences are available: For example, echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, or fluoroscopy. Submissions meeting this criteria without videos may be returned to the authors or rejected de novo to request this content.

TABLES

Each table should be on a separate page, with the table number and title centered above the table and explanatory notes below the table. Use Arabic numbers. Table numbers must correspond with the order cited in the text. Tables should be self-explanatory, and the data presented in them should not be duplicated in the text or figures.
  • All tables must have a title.
  • Abbreviations should be listed in a footnote under the table in alphabetical order.
  • Footnote symbols should appear in alphabetical order: a, b, c, d, e, etc.
  • If previously published tables are used, written permission from the original publisher/author is required.
  • Cite the source of the table in the footnote.

Central Illustration. The editors will notify authors if their paper has been chosen for a Central Illustration, and work with authors, editors, and medical illustrators as appropriate.

RESEARCH DATA

This journal encourages and enables you to share data that supports your research publication where appropriate, and enables you to interlink the data with your published articles. Research data refers to the results of observations or experimentation that validate research findings. To facilitate reproducibility and data reuse, this journal also encourages you to share your software, code, models, algorithms, protocols, methods and other useful materials related to the project. For more information on depositing, sharing and using research data and other relevant research materials, visit the research data page.

Data Statement
To foster transparency, we encourage you to state the availability of your data in your submission. If your data is unavailable to access or unsuitable to post, you will have the opportunity to indicate why during the submission process, for example by stating that the research data is confidential. For more information, visit the Data Statement page.

EDITORIAL POLICIES

All manuscripts must be submitted online at https://www.jaccsubmit-CaseReports.org. By submitting an article to the journal, all authors of the submission agree to receive emails from all the American College of Cardiology's JACC Journals regarding your manuscript, including editorial queries while the manuscript is under review and emails from the publisher should the paper be accepted for publication. The contact information provided by the corresponding author will be included in the galley proofs, the published PDF version of the manuscript, and the online version of the manuscript.

Editors are not involved in decisions about papers which they have written themselves or have been written by family members or institutional colleagues or which relate to products or services in which the editor has an interest. Any such submission is subject to all of the journal's usual procedures, with peer review handled independently of the relevant editor and their research groups.

ETHICS
Manuscript submissions should conform to the guidelines set forth in the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals,” available online and most recently updated in December 2019.

Studies should be in compliance with human studies committees and Animal welfare regulations of the authors' institutions and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Human studies must be performed with the subjects' written informed consent. Authors must provide the details of this procedure and indicate that the institutional committee on human research has approved the study protocol. If radiation is used in a research procedure, the radiation exposure must be specified in the Methods.

PATIENT CONSENT
Publication of any individually identifiable information about a living individual requires a written consent under HIPAA known as a ?HIPAA authorization? from the individual or the individual?s guardian. Written consent may also be required under other federal, state, local or international laws. These consents are referred to herein globally as ?consents.? While consents cannot be uploaded in the ACC submission site, authors are required to obtain them where necessary and to document in the submission data that they were obtained. ACC requires that authors obtain any necessary consents before initial submission to avoid delays if the submission is accepted for publication. Additionally, if a submission is accepted, authors will have to sign a form confirming they have obtained all necessary consents The authors of each submission are fully responsible for obtaining any necessary consents.

Additionally, if you are conducting research on human subjects you are required to obtain: (1) institutional review board approval and (2) (a) informed consent or (b) a waiver of informed consent in accordance with applicable law. Such institutional review board approval must be completed prior to commencement of the research. The author?s submission should clearly articulate the institutional review board?s determination as to whether informed consent was required or waived. If the consent is subject to conditions, please inform ACC upon submission of your paper. In certain scenarios, the institutional review board or your institution may determine that the research is exempt, and oversight is not required in accordance with applicable law and institutional policy. If so, the exemption must be documented in the submission. *Note that submission of individual case reports (Clinical Cases, Clinical Case Series, Imaging Vignettes, etc.) to JACC: Case Reports will not require institutional review board approval but will require consent.*

Individual?s privacy is paramount to ethical research. Therefore, identifying information, including individuals? names, initials, hospital numbers, and images should not be included in videos, recordings, written descriptions, photographs, and pedigrees unless the information is essential for scientific purposes and only the minimum necessary identifiable information is articulated in the research.

Even where consent/ authorization has been given, identifying details should be omitted if they are not essential. If identifying characteristics are altered to protect anonymity, such as in genetic pedigrees, authors should provide an assurance that alterations do not distort scientific meaning.

Unless individually identifiable information is essential, all submissions should be de-identified and anonymized in accordance with applicable international, federal, state and local laws. As stated above you are responsible for obtaining all necessary HIPAA authorizations and consents under applicable law, including but not limited to obtaining permissions to de-identify and anonymize information included in the submission.

In instances where information will be included from deceased individuals, consents should be obtained from the deceased individual?s next of kin or legal representative in accordance with applicable law.

In the event the submission involves research on animals such research shall be approved by an, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and be conducted in accordance with applicable law including but not limited to the Animal Welfare Act and to the extent applicable animal facilities must meet the standards of the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Animal Care International.

The JACC Journals have an ethics committee comprised of 7 members, which oversees quality contr

EXCLUSIVE SUBMISSION/PUBLICATION POLICY
Manuscripts are considered for review only under the conditions that they are not under consideration elsewhere and that the data presented have not appeared on the Internet or have not been previously published (including symposia, proceedings, transactions, books, articles published by invitation, and preliminary publications of any kind, excepting abstracts that do not exceed 400 words).

RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY POLICY
All authors are required to disclose any relationship with industry and other relevant entities-financial or otherwise-within the past 2 years that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All relevant relationships with industry, disclosures, and sources of funding for the work should be acknowledged on the title page, as should all institutional affiliations of the authors (including corporate appointments). This includes associations such as consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interests or patent licensing arrangements. If no relationship with industry exists, please state this on the title page.

All forms are now signed and submitted electronically. Once a manuscript is accepted, the authors will be sent links to complete the electronic Relationship with Industry forms. Elsevier now handles copyright for the journal. Only the corresponding author may electronically sign the copyright form; however, all authors are required to electronically sign a relationship with industry form. Once completed, a PDF version of the form is e-mailed to the author. Authors can access and confirm receipt of forms by logging into their account at https://www.jaccsubmit-CaseReports.org. Each author will be alerted if his or her form has not been completed by the deadline.

The JACC Journals program prefers the term Relationships with Industry and Other Entities as opposed to the term Conflict of Interest, because, by definition, it does NOT necessarily imply a conflict. When all relationships are disclosed with the appropriate detail regarding category and amount, and managed appropriately for building consensus and voting, the JACC Journals program believes that potential bias can be avoided, and the final published document is strengthened since the necessary expertise is accessible.

REVIEW PROCESS
JACC: Case Reports uses a single-blind peer-review system, meaning that the authors are blinded to the identity of the reviewers and as a general rule, although there are exceptions, the reviewers are blinded to each other. While the JACC: Case Reports Associate Editor will be identified at the end of the review process, all correspondence concerning a manuscript should be addressed to the JACC: Case Reports editorial staff at [email protected]. At initial submission, a manuscript is reviewed by editorial staff for compliance with journal style and to make sure the submission is clear and legible for reviewers and editors. Once the editorial staff have checked in the paper, it is assigned to the JACC: Case Reports Editor-in-Chief, who will assign it to an Associate Editor. The Associate Editor then determines if it should be sent for peer review or if it is not of sufficient priority for JACC: Case Reports. All reviewers and editors are asked to report any potential conflicts of interest, and when those exist the manuscript is reassigned to a different editor or reviewer. Once 2 reviews have been completed, the submission is reviewed by all JACC: Case Reports associate editors in a weekly meeting. The group then comes to one of the four decisions below:
  • Accept. The manuscript is acceptable for publication in its current form. However, minor edits may be made by the JACC: Case Reports medical editors, illustrators, or the publisher, and authors will need to work to ensure these changes are made post-acceptance.
  • Minor Revision. It is important to note that this decision does not guarantee acceptance. However, less significant edits are required than a Revision Required decision.
  • Major Revision. The manuscript is unacceptable for publication in its current form. However, the editors are willing to reconsider a thoroughly revised manuscript. The authors must respond to all reviewer and editor comments and the submission will be rereviewed and treated as a new submission.
  • Reject. The manuscript is unacceptable for publication and/or is not an appropriate fit for JACC: Case Reports.

PERMISSIONS
If a figure/table is reprinted or adapted from a previously published work, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder and sent to the editorial office. Please also see Figures.

MENTIONING BRAND NAME DRUGS/DEVICES
Please reduce or remove mentions of brand name/trademarked drugs and devices from the manuscript. In particular, we try to avoid using brand name/trademarked drugs and devices in titles. Note that if the manuscript is offering CME, we cannot discuss brand name drugs/devices at all.

If you are reproducing an image of a device, permission from the device manufacturer is the sole responsibility of the authors. You will not be asked to provide the permission, but the journal/Elsevier will assume that you have obtained permission at the point of acceptance.

AUTHORSHIP
Each author must have contributed significantly to the submitted work. If authorship is attributed to a group (either solely or in addition to one or more individual authors), all members of the group must meet the full criteria and requirements for authorship. To save space, if group members have been previously published, the article should be referenced rather than reprinting the list of names. The editors consider authorship to include all of the following:
  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  • Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Participation solely in the collection of data does not justify authorship but maybe appropriately acknowledged in the Acknowledgment section. Authors must also agree to the following statements. These questions will be part of the submission process and manuscripts will not be reviewed until they are confirmed: 1) the paper is not under consideration elsewhere; 2) none of the paper's contents with the exception of abstracts have been previously published; 3) all authors have read and approved the manuscript; 4) agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved; 5) the full disclosure of any relationship with industry (see “Relationship with Industry Policy”) or that no such relationship exists, is stated; and 6) the authors have provided both an illustration and the appropriate material for inclusion in the box that appears after the “Conclusions” section in the manuscript. Exceptions must be explained.

Please note that copyright is now handled by the publisher and no copyright form will be sent to you until the manuscript has been sent to the publisher. Only authors appearing on the final title page will be sent a form. YOU CANNOT ADD AUTHORS AFTER ACCEPTANCE OR ON PROOFS.

EXPEDITED REVIEW
In order for Case Reports to be considered for expedited review, they should report important original findings of high potential clinical impact or research significance. Authors should request expedited review and the rationale for this request in their cover letter at the time of submission. The editors commit to a decision regarding suitability for expedited publication processing within 2 days, and an initial decision within 14 days. Those manuscripts not deemed appropriate for the expedited publication track will be considered according to the standard review process. We always inform authors whether we are able to offer expedited review. An agreement to provide expedited review does not guarantee acceptance.

STATISTICS
All publishable manuscripts will be reviewed for appropriateness and accuracy of statistical methods and statistical interpretation of results. We subscribe to the statistics section of the “Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals (ICMJE Recommendations).” In the Methods section, provide a subsection detailing the statistical methods, including specific methods used to summarize the data, methods used for hypothesis testing (if any), and the level of significance used for hypothesis testing. When using more sophisticated statistical methods (beyond t tests, chi-square, simple linear regression), specify the statistical package, version number, and nondefault options used. For more information on statistical review, see “Glantz SA. It is all in the numbers. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1993;21:835-7.”

LEVELS OF DIFFICULTY
Each published manuscript is assigned a level of difficulty. In brief, beginners is applicable to fellows in training, intermediate for early career cardiologists and advanced for senior cardiologists.

APPEALS
Authors may appeal editorial decisions by email. To appeal a decision, send your rationale as to why the editors should reconsider the paper to [email protected]. The rationale should address all of the reviewers? concerns. The editors may grant or deny the appeal, and their decision is final. Appealsmust be submittedwithin 30 days of the date the decision was rendered.

OPEN ACCESS

Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.

JACC JOURNALS PUBLICATION INTEGRITY GUIDELINES

JACC JOURNALS PUBLICATION INTEGRITY GUIDELINESJACC Journals have adopted integrity guidelines to help authors uphold the ethics, values, and principles of the publication process at the highest standards. The guidelines below include best practices and are consistent with those implemented by other journals and scientific publishers.

Plagiarism

PlagiarismThe Office of Research Integrity (ORI) defines plagiarism as "theft or misappropriation of intellectual property and the substantial unattributed textual copying of another's work." Manuscripts where unacknowledged copying of others' ideas, language and/or results will not be published in JACC Journals and, depending on level of egregiousness, will be reported to ORI and/or other agencies. Therefore, authors should ensure that appropriate attribution and citation is provided when discussing, paraphrasing, or summarizing the work of others. Included is the use of one's own text from previous publications (exclusive of materials and methods), where appropriate attribution and citation is necessary. Reuse of one's own or others' previously published data, whether it be publishing the same paper in multiple journals or adding incremental new data to a previous publication without providing appropriate references, will be considered a duplicate publication. Should JACC Journals discover acts of plagiarism pre-publication, the publication process will be halted until the matter is resolved. Should JACC Journals discover acts of plagiarism post-publication, an investigation to determine the extent and context of the plagiarism will be conducted. JACC Journals reserve the right to correct or retract any publication based on the findings of said investigations.

Due credit for unpublished and published work

Due credit for unpublished and published workAuthors must discuss, properly cite, and provide appropriate permissions for any unpublished work included in submitted manuscripts. Any data, intellectual contribution, and/or technical development, including unpublished data from databases, must be acknowledged and appropriately cited. Authors must include written assurance that they are complying with the data-licensing agreements of the original source documents when using licensed data. If an author is reusing or modifying previously published or copyrighted figures, documented permission from the previous publisher or copyright holder is required.

Duplicate publication

Duplicate publicationMaterial submitted to a JACC Journal must be original. Submitted material cannot have been previously published and cannot be simultaneously submitted elsewhere (exclusive of meeting abstracts). Related manuscripts under consideration or in press elsewhere must be declared by authors submitting to a JACC Journal at the time of submission in the cover letter. If related material is submitted elsewhere after submission to a JACC Journal, authors must notify the JACC Journal immediately.

Data integrity
All data and figures published in JACC Journals must accurately represent the original data and findings. Misrepresentation of data acquisition and/or post-acquisition processing is not acceptable.

While JACC Journals understand minor data processing may be unavoidable, submitted digital images must be as close to original as possible. Processing/image adjustment (e.g., contrast or brightness) must be applied equally across the entire image and any relevant controls. Any image processing/adjustment should not make data disappear or mask additional bands. Authors should explain any image alterations in the figure legend and identify image acquisition tools and processing software in the methods. Integral settings and processing manipulations used to process the presented data should also be described.

JACC Journals reserve the right to request all unprocessed data files included in a submitted manuscript. Manuscript evaluation may be halted or discontinued if the files are not available upon request.

Authors should take care to adhere to the following specific concerns:

Electrophoretic gels and blots

Cropped gels must preserve all important bands. Individual images cannot be used in multiple figures except when the figures describe different aspects of the same experiment (e.g., when a single control experiment served serves multiple experiments performed simultaneously). When an image is used in multiple figures, authors must clearly state the reason(s) for this in the figure legend.

Quantitative comparisons between samples on different gels/blots should be avoided, and only performed when normalizing controls are available for both gels. Protein loading controls must be run on the same blot. If unavoidable, the figure legend must indicate that the samples are derived from the same or parallel experiments and that the gels/blots are processed in parallel. Removal of irrelevant or blank lanes from a gel is permissible; however, such alterations must be noted in the figure legend and boundaries between the nonadjacent or rearranged lanes must be clearly marked in the figure.

Microscopy

A scale bar should be included with all microscopy images. The measured resolution at which an image was acquired and any subsequent processing or averaging that enhances the resolution must be clearly stated. Adjustments should be applied over the entire image.

Microscopy settings for comparable controls and samples should be the same between experiments. Any necessary nonlinear, pseudocolor, or color adjustments made to images must be stated in the figure legend. Any manipulation of threshold and expansion or contraction of signal ranges should be avoided.

Authors should not combine images obtained separately, at different times, or from different locations, into a single image, unless specifically stated in the figure legend.

Data Visualization Guidelines

Figures representing data need to be designed and presented in a way that allows readers to understand and critically interpret the data. Authors must ensure that figures use easily distinguishable colors/lines/symbols and are color-blind-safe.

Continuous data and small sample sizes should be represented with figures that show full data distribution, such as dot or scatter plots. Bar graphs should be avoided except when showing counts or proportions.

Authors should consider adding a flow chart or study design diagram when appropriate. Flow charts should provide information about excluded observations and reasons for exclusion at each phase of the study.

Data Management Guidelines

As outlined by ORI, data management is one of the essential areas of responsible conduct of research (https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/clinicaltools/data.pdf).

CONTACTING US
For enquiries relating to the submission of articles or to articles currently under review, please contact the JACC: Case Reports editorial office at [email protected].

The mailing address for the JACC: Case Reports editorial office:

JACC: Case Reports

Heart House, 2400 N Street NW

Washington, DC, 20037

Phone: (202) 375-6136

Fax: (202) 375-6819

For information on articles that have been accepted for publication, please visit Elsevier's Authors Home at https://www.elsevier.com/authors. Elsevier's Authors Home also provides the facility to track accepted articles and set up e-mail alerts to inform you of when an article's status has changed, as well as detailed artwork guidelines, copyright information, frequently asked questions, and more. Authors can order copies of the issue in which their article appears at a discounted rate; please contact Elsevier Health Sciences Division, Subscription Customer Service, 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043, Tel: 1-800-654-2452, E-mail: [email protected]. English language help service: Upon request, Elsevier will direct authors to an agent who can check and improve the English of their paper (before submission). Please contact [email protected] for further information.

Reporting sex- and gender-based analyses

Reporting guidance
For research involving or pertaining to humans, animals or eukaryotic cells, investigators should integrate sex and gender-based analyses (SGBA) into their research design according to funder/sponsor requirements and best practices within a field. Authors should address the sex and/or gender dimensions of their research in their article. In cases where they cannot, they should discuss this as a limitation to their research's generalizability. Importantly, authors should explicitly state what definitions of sex and/or gender they are applying to enhance the precision, rigor and reproducibility of their research and to avoid ambiguity or conflation of terms and the constructs to which they refer (see Definitions section below). Authors can refer to the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines and the SAGER guidelines checklist. These offer systematic approaches to the use and editorial review of sex and gender information in study design, data analysis, outcome reporting and research interpretation - however, please note there is no single, universally agreed-upon set of guidelines for defining sex and gender.

Definitions
Sex generally refers to a set of biological attributes that are associated with physical and physiological features (e.g., chromosomal genotype, hormonal levels, internal and external anatomy). A binary sex categorization (male/female) is usually designated at birth (""sex assigned at birth""), most often based solely on the visible external anatomy of a newborn. Gender generally refers to socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities of women, men and gender-diverse people that occur in a historical and cultural context and may vary across societies and over time. Gender influences how people view themselves and each other, how they behave and interact and how power is distributed in society. Sex and gender are often incorrectly portrayed as binary (female/male or woman/man) and unchanging whereas these constructs actually exist along a spectrum and include additional sex categorizations and gender identities such as people who are intersex/have differences of sex development (DSD) or identify as non-binary. Moreover, the terms ""sex"" and ""gender"" can be ambiguous—thus it is important for authors to define the manner in which they are used. In addition to this definition guidance and the SAGER guidelines, the resources on this page offer further insight around sex and gender in research studies.