After years of torturous pain, a woman was able to resolve her son’s toothache issue, thanks to ChatGPT. The mother, who has not been identified so far, sought the assistance of ChatGPT to diagnose her four-year-old son, who was experiencing both toothache and stunted growth.
According to Today.com, Courtney, Alex’s mother, shared her experiences, explaining that her son had been reliant on Motrin (a pain-relieving medication) to alleviate his discomfort, and without it, he would experience severe meltdowns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alex began to chew objects that caused him pain, prompting Courtney to seek medical advice. Unfortunately, for three years, she was unable to find a solution to her son’s pain and related symptoms despite consulting numerous doctors, including an emergency room visit.
Courtney’s persistence led her to realize that Alex had ceased growing taller, which prompted her to consult a doctor who speculated that this might be a post-COVID-19 complication. However, after consulting with 17 doctors, a breakthrough came from an unexpected source. Courtney turned to ChatGPT to investigate the causes of her son’s toothache and stunted growth.
After inputting Alex’s symptoms into ChatGPT, she discovered that he was suffering from a rare neurological condition known as tethered cord syndrome. Subsequently, she joined a Facebook group composed of parents whose children also had the same condition. Courtney meticulously analyzed her son’s MRI notes and fed the information into ChatGPT, focusing on specific details, such as his inability to sit in a cross-legged position, which hinted at a possible structural issue.
With this newfound information, Courtney scheduled an appointment with a neurosurgeon and shared her suspicion that her son had tethered cord syndrome. The doctor reviewed the MRI and confirmed Alex’s condition. Shortly thereafter, Alex underwent surgery to address the tethered cord syndrome.
This case is not the first example of ChatGPT aiding in the diagnosis of medical conditions. In March, a Twitter user shared how the AI tool correctly identified a diagnosis for their pet dog when human doctors were unable to do so.
Tethered cord syndrome, as described by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, occurs when spinal cord tissue forms attachments that restrict the spinal cord’s movements, leading to abnormal stretching of body parts.
