What 17 Doctors Failed to Diagnose, ChatGPT's AI Diagnosed in Minutes

For three years, a mother struggled to identify the source of her four-year-old son's suffering, as his symptoms persisted despite consultations with 17 doctors. Ultimately, she turned to ChatGPT for answers. The mother decided to seek assistance from ChatGPT in order to pinpoint a diagnosis for her son. She created an account and provided detailed information about his symptoms. The rise of artificial intelligence, exemplified by the tool ChatGPT, has streamlined repetitive tasks across various industries, freeing up time for more pressing priorities.

Growing Reliance on ChatGPT

This growing reliance on the tool was underscored when a woman sought out ChatGPT to diagnose her four-year-old son, who was experiencing both toothaches and stunted growth. Courtney, the mother of the boy known as Alex, expressed her frustration, explaining, "I have to give him Motrin every day, or he has these gigantic meltdowns. If he had Motrin, he was totally fine."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex began chewing things that caused him pain, prompting Courtney to seek medical attention. Despite visiting numerous doctors, including an emergency room visit, she remained unable to find a solution to her son's pain and other symptoms.

After some time, she noticed that Alex's growth had plateaued and consulted a doctor who speculated it might be a post-COVID-19 complication. "He'd grown a little bit. He would lead with his right foot and just bring his left foot along for the ride," she recalled.

When 17 Doctors Failed to Diagnose, ChatGPT Came in Handy

After consulting 17 doctors, the breakthrough came from an unexpected source. Courtney decided to turn to ChatGPT for insight into her son's toothache and stunted growth. By sharing the symptoms with ChatGPT, she learned that Alex was suffering from a rare neurological condition called tethered cord syndrome. She then joined a Facebook group consisting of parents whose children also grappled with the same condition.

"I went line by line of everything that was in his MRI notes and plugged it into ChatGPT. I put the note in there about how he wouldn’t sit crisscross applesauce. To me, that was a huge trigger that a structural thing could be wrong," she recounted.

Courtney scheduled an appointment with a neurosurgeon, expressing her suspicion that her son might have tethered cord syndrome. The doctor examined the MRI and confirmed Alex's condition. Subsequently, Alex underwent surgery for the condition a few weeks ago.

This case is not the first in which ChatGPT has played a crucial role in diagnosing a medical condition. In March, a Twitter user shared how the AI tool accurately identified a diagnosis for their pet dog when conventional doctors were unable to do so (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
ChatGPT in medicine: an overview of its applications, advantages, limitations, future prospects, and ethical considerations

Go to source).

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Tethered cord syndrome is a condition where the tissue in the spinal cord forms attachments, limiting the movement of the spinal cord and causing abnormal stretching of body parts, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

To conclude, ChatGPT's intervention proved invaluable after a prolonged struggle to diagnose a 4-year-old's pain. This case highlights the potential of AI in healthcare.

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Reference:

1. ChatGPT in medicine: an overview of its applications, advantages, limitations, future prospects, and ethical considerations - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37215063/)

Source-Medindia