Toddler whose symptoms puzzled 17 doctors for three YEARS is finally diagnosed with rare condition… by ChatGPT

• A boy saw 17 doctors for his mystery symptoms before ChatGPT diagnosed him
• Alex, whose symptoms took three years to be diagnosed, is now recovering
• READ MORE: ChatGPT gives the correct diagnosis 72% of the time, study shows

A boy was diagnosed with a rare condition by ChatGPT after spending three years visiting more than a dozen doctors.

Alex was four years old when he began experiencing chronic pain. His mother, Courtney, said if he didn’t have pain medications every day, he would have ‘gigantic’ meltdowns. Soon after, he developed other unusual symptoms like chewing things. 

Courtney spent the next three years searching for the answer and consulting 17 doctors. Finally, she asked ChatGPT, which research has shown can be right up to 72 percent of the time.

The chatbot came back with a diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome, a condition that causes the spinal cord to abnormally attach to the spinal canal, restricting blood flow as children grow. This leads to numbness, pain, muscle weakness, and issues with motor control. 

When she saw the chatbot’s diagnosis, Courtney realized ‘it made a lot of sense.’

Alex began experiencing pain, mood swings, and sleep issues starting at age four. It took three years and using ChatGPT to find his diagnosis of spina bifida and tethered cord syndrome

Though ChatGPT doesn’t have a medical degree, recent research suggests it could come up with a diagnosis just as often as junior doctors

‘We saw so many doctors. We ended up in the ER at one point. I kept pushing,’ she told Today.com. ‘I really spent the night on the (computer) … going through all these things.’

Alex’s personality also began to change. As he chewed on things, Courtney said his normally sweet demeanor turned into ‘this tantrum-ing crazy person that didn’t exist the rest of the time.’

He was exhausted and moody. A dentist suspected he may have been grinding his teeth and referred the family to a specialist, who placed an expander in Alex’s mouth to help him breathe better at night.

While it seemed like a fix at first, more symptoms appeared. Alex stopped growing, which a pediatrician blamed on the pandemic. He also dragged his left foot along when he walked and developed severe headaches.

Courtney went line by line through Alex’s test results and entered them into ChatGPT. The chatbot came back with tethered cord syndrome.

Tethered cord syndrome occurs when the spinal cord attaches to the spinal canal. It mostly affects children, and as affected kids grow, the spinal cord stretches and restricts blood flow.  

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms include difficulty walking, discolored skin patches, numbness in the legs and back, severe leg or back pain, scoliosis, bladder and bowel control issues, and loss of muscle mass.

It occurs in less than one percent of US births per year, estimates suggest.

READ  MORE: ‘AI is an existential threat to humanity’: Now doctors and public health experts issue call for artificial intelligence to be halted

Alex’s case was caused by spina bifida, which occurs when the backbone that protects the spinal cord doesn’t form and close normally. Alex has the most minor form of the condition, spina bifida occulta, which causes a small gap in the spine but no nerve damage. 

This form is more difficult to diagnose since the defect is smaller and harder to see. Courtney said Alex’s defect looks more like a birthmark on top of his buttocks that no one saw.

About 1,400 babies in the US are born with spina bifida per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 1,000 babies in the UK are born with it annually, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service estimates.

Though ChatGPT doesn’t have a medical degree, recent research suggests it could come up with a diagnosis just as often as junior doctors.

A study published last month by researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston found ChatGPT found the correct diagnosis 72 percent of the time, about the same rate as a resident doctor. More senior doctors are usually right about 95 percent of the time, experts suggest.

Additionally, a study published earlier this year found that ChatGPT could pass the country’s gold-standard medical exam, the three-part Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), scoring between 52.4 and 75 percent.  

The passing threshold is about 60 percent. 

And research from the University of California San Diego found ChatGPT provided higher-quality answers and was more empathetic than actual doctors. 

The AI showed empathy 45 percent of the time, compared to five percent among doctors. It also provided more detailed answers 79 percent of the time, compared to 21 percent for doctors.

Additionally, ChatGPT was preferred 79 percent of the time, compared to 21 percent for doctors. 

As for Alex, he is now ‘happy go lucky,’ his mother said, and enjoys playing sports and spending time with other children. 

He had surgery on his tethered spinal cord earlier this summer, and while he’s still recovering, he’s expected to bounce back quickly. 

‘There’s nobody that connects the dots for you,’ Courtney said. ‘You have to be your kid’s advocate.’

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