Unveiling the Potential of Venn Diagrams as a Helpful Tool for Clinical Reasoning: An Illustrative Case-based Discussion

Valeria Peruzzi; Sara Torresan; Francesco Cortiula; Martina Fanelli; Paola Ermacora; Rossano Girometti; Lorenzo Cereser

doi:10.1067/j.cpradiol.2023.06.002

Unveiling the Potential of Venn Diagrams as a Helpful Tool for Clinical Reasoning: An Illustrative Case-based Discussion

Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2023 Nov-Dec;52(6):478-481. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2023.06.002. Epub 2023 Jul 1.

Authors

Valeria Peruzzi¹, Sara Torresan², Francesco Cortiula³, Martina Fanelli⁴, Paola Ermacora⁴, Rossano Girometti¹, Lorenzo Cereser⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Radiology, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy.
² Department of Oncology, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy; Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
³ Department of Oncology, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy; Department of Radiation Oncology (Maastro), GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Oncology, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy.
⁵ Institute of Radiology, Department of Medicine, University of Udine, University Hospital S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy. Electronic address: lcereser@sirm.org.

PMID: 37438231
DOI: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2023.06.002

Abstract

Venn diagrams graphically represent a cognitive approach that can assist in highlighting information shared by different data sets while eliminating nonoverlapping conditions. When applied to clinical reasoning, such an approach helps physicians visually focus on data pertaining to differential diagnoses. We present and discuss a 3-step reasoning pathway derived from a real-life case in which we used Venn diagrams to diagnose drug-related pneumonitis in a 67-year-old man with advanced bladder cancer and nodular lung findings at chest CT. This education paper supports using Venn diagrams in Radiology.